Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS, is a severe disease people get from contact with rodents. It causes difficulty breathing and can result in death. Researcher Barbara Knust of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that controlling the rodent population around your home is one of the best ways to help make sure you don’t get the disease:

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS, is a severe disease people get from contact with rodents. It causes difficulty breathing and can result in death.

Researcher Barbara Knust of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that controlling the rodent population around your home is one of the best ways to help make sure you don’t get the disease:

[Barbara Knust speaks] ``Very important is sealing up and trapping up to prevent future rodent infestations. Houses should be checked twice a year for potential holes where rodents could enter, and they should be sealed up.’’

When cleaning areas where rodents have been, be sure to use disinfectants and gloves to keep your hands protected.

The study is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: February, 22 2010




open here, please:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/generalinfoindex.htm