Hantavirus Pulmonary
Syndrome (HPS)
Fact Sheet
What is HPS?
HPS is a serious disease caused by a virus
that affects your lungs. You can get it by
coming in contact with the saliva, urine, or
droppings of infected mice and rats
(rodents).

How can I prevent it?
The best way to keep from getting HPS is to
keep rodents from building a nest in homes
and workplaces. Also, avoid contact with
rodent saliva, urine, and droppings.
•

Don’t leave food in open areas that
rodents might find

•

Seal off rodent entry holes or gaps

•

Trap rats and mice with a snap trap

•

Before entering areas where rodents
might be living, open doors and
windows to let in fresh air

•

Wear gloves and dust mask and spray
rodent droppings with bleach and water
before cleaning

How is it spread?
It is spread by some types of infected
rodents’ saliva, urine, or droppings. Humans
get sick from breathing in tiny bits of saliva,
urine, droppings, or nesting materials that
are in the air, or when they enter broken
skin, the nose or the mouth. If an infected
rodent bites someone, the virus may be
spread to that person, but this is rare.
Person-to-person spread of HPS is not
common.

•

Never use a vacuum cleaner or broom
to clean rodent droppings or nesting
materials

How common is it?
HPS is only seen in the Americas. It was
first identified in 1993 in the United States.
Since then, over 500 cases have been
reported in the western half of the United
States and in some eastern states. There
has only been one reported case of HPS in
a Maine resident. Still, you should know
how to protect yourself from HPS, especially
when traveling.

Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact your
healthcare provider or local health center.
You can also contact the Maine Center for
Disease Control and Prevention at 1-800821-5821 or www.mainepublichealth.gov/.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention website - http://www.cdc.gov – is
another excellent source of health
information.

What are the signs and symptoms?
Early symptoms include fever, chills,
headache, and muscle pain of the
shoulders, lower back and thighs. You may
also have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
dizziness, or cough. In severe cases, cough
and shortness of breath could lead to
buildup of fluid in the lungs and severe lack
of oxygen in the blood. In some cases, you
can get low blood pressure.

How is it treated?
There is no treatment
prevention is best.

for

HPS,

What should I do if I think I have it?
If you have had contact with rodents and
have fever, deep muscle aches, or
shortness of breath, see your healthcare
provider right away. Tell him or her about
your contact with rodents.

so

Updated on: 2/26/2014, Source of Information: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus (accessed 2/26/2014)