Hantavirus: cleaning up after rodents safely

Deer mouse or house mouse?

Deer Mouse Peromyscus species (shown: P. maniculatus) The deer mouse is a wild mouse with a white belly and a furred, two-toned tail that sometimes moves into cabins, sheds and homes. In the United States it spreads the most common hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe and potentially deadly lung disease, so the droppings and nests it leaves need careful cleanup. House Mouse Mus musculus The house mouse is a small, adaptable rodent that lives close to people in homes, schools and food businesses, eating and contaminating food, gnawing wiring and carrying disease.

How people catch hantavirus

Most people breathe it in. When fresh urine, droppings or nesting material from an infected rodent is stirred up, the virus gets into the air. It can also get in through cuts in the skin or the eyes, nose or mouth, and rarely through a rodent bite or scratch.^[2][1][11]

That is why the cleanup rules all come down to one idea: wet everything with disinfectant first and never raise dust. CDC says sweeping or vacuuming can put tiny droplets containing the virus into the air.^[3]

• Infected deer mice don't look sick. Washington's health department says deer mice pass the virus among themselves and some of the population is usually infected, but the mice show no symptoms.^[9]
• People who clean up after rodents, such as pest control workers and animal caretakers, are at higher risk, as is anyone who works with live rodents or keeps them as pets.^[2]
• Dogs and cats can be infected without getting sick, usually by catching deer mice. They can't pass the virus to people, but they can bring infected rodents indoors.^[9]
• CDC does not recommend pet rodents, including pet rats, for families with children 5 years old or younger, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems.^[2]

Is it a deer mouse?

Deer mice are the main concern in the United States. They look a lot like house mice, but a few features set them apart.^[1][4]

• Deer mouse: dark brown to grayish or light brown on top with a clean white belly, white legs and feet, large eyes and ears, and a furry tail that is dark on top and white underneath. Washington puts it at about 6 inches from nose to tail tip.^[4][9]
• House mouse: an overall gray-brown coat with no white underside and an almost hairless tail. UC IPM says house mouse infestations usually have a musky odor.^[4]
• The two-toned tail is the easiest way to tell a deer mouse from a house mouse, according to UC IPM, which adds that several related Peromyscus mice are hard to tell apart. New Mexico's health department says deer mice and other similar mice carry hantavirus.^[4][11]
• Droppings and nests of the two look much alike. Deer mice tend to stash seeds, acorns and nuts, which can hint at which mouse you have.^[4]
• Deer mice live in forests, grasslands and farmland and don't usually turn up in towns unless parks or fields are nearby. They readily move into vacant homes, cabins and other buildings to nest.^[4]

Where hantavirus turns up

Hantavirus illness is rare. CDC counts 890 laboratory-confirmed cases in the United States from 1993, when surveillance began after an outbreak in the Four Corners region, through 2023. About 94% of them happened west of the Mississippi River.^[7][11]

• New Mexico, one of the Four Corners states, confirmed seven cases in 2025 and six in 2024, and its health department says people in every part of the state can get it.^[10][11]
• Washington typically sees one to five cases a year, and its health department says infected deer mice live throughout the state.^[9]
• Case counts are reported by state only. For local information, CDC suggests contacting your state or local health department.^[7]

Before you start

• Air the space out. CDC says to open all doors and windows for 30 minutes and leave the area while it airs. New Mexico's health department advises at least one hour for closed-up buildings, garages and basements.^[3][11]
• Get rubber or plastic gloves. Washington also lists latex, vinyl and nitrile.^[3][9]
• Choose a disinfectant. A household product works if the label says "disinfectant". Or mix 1.5 cups of bleach in 1 gallon of water, and make the bleach solution fresh each time.^[3]
• CDC says to gather your equipment before you begin: besides gloves and disinfectant, you will need paper towels, plastic bags and a covered garbage can.^[3]

CDC's cleanup steps

These are CDC's steps for droppings and urine in a home. Nothing gets swept, vacuumed or wiped until it has soaked in disinfectant.^[3]

• Open all doors and windows for 30 minutes before cleaning to ventilate the space.^[3]
• Wear rubber or plastic gloves.^[3]
• Mix 1.5 cups of household bleach in 1 gallon of water (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), or use an EPA-registered disinfectant.^[3]
• Spray urine and droppings until very wet and let soak for 5 minutes, or as long as the disinfectant label says.^[3]
• Wipe up the droppings and cleaning product with paper towels and throw them in a covered garbage can that is emptied regularly.^[3]
• Mop or sponge the area with disinfectant, including floors, countertops, cabinets and drawers.^[3]
• Shampoo rugs and upholstered furniture with a commercial disinfectant or a commercial-grade steam cleaner; wash contaminated bedding, clothing and stuffed animals in hot water with detergent.^[3]
• Before taking off your gloves, wash the gloved hands with soap and water or a disinfectant.^[3][12]
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water after removing gloves.^[3]
• No soap nearby? CDC says a waterless alcohol-based hand rub will do if your hands aren't visibly dirty.^[3]

Where the health departments differ

State health departments follow CDC closely, but a few details vary. Here are both versions, so you can see where they differ.^[3][9][11]

• Soak time: CDC and New Mexico's pamphlet say 5 minutes, or as long as the disinfectant label says. Washington says to let everything soak for 10 minutes.^[3][12][9]
• Bleach strength: CDC and Washington use 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. New Mexico's fact sheet says one cup of bleach to 10 cups of water.^[3][9][11]
• Airing out: CDC says 30 minutes; New Mexico says at least one hour before spending time in a building that has been shut up.^[3][11]
• Hole size: CDC says a mouse fits through a hole the width of a pencil, 1/4 inch. New Mexico says as small as a dime. Washington and UC IPM say to seal openings larger than 1/4 inch.^{[5][11][9][4]}

Dead rodents and nests

Spray the dead rodent or nest with disinfectant the same way, then place it in a plastic bag and tie the bag closed.^[3]

• Let it soak for 5 minutes, or as long as the label says, before you pick it up.^[3][12]
• Put the rodent or nest in the bag with any used trap, knot it, and then put that bag inside a second bag and knot it too. Throw it in a covered garbage can that is emptied regularly.^[3][12][9]
• Fleas are common on rodents. CDC suggests an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET on clothing, shoes and hands while picking up dead rodents and nests.^[3]
• To reuse a snap trap, soak it in a bucket of disinfectant with the rodent still in it for 5 minutes, drop the rodent into a bag, then rinse the trap with water and let it dry completely.^[3]

Sheds, cabins and closed-up buildings

Ventilate and clean buildings that have been closed for a while using the same steps before you use them.^[3]

• After airing it out, go back in and look for droppings, nests and dead rodents before you touch anything. Mop hard floors, or spray dirt floors in outbuildings with disinfectant.^[3]
• Carry storage boxes and containers that may be soiled outside, to a well-ventilated spot in direct sunlight, and sort them there. Stand upwind so dust doesn't blow toward your face.^[3]
• Throw out cardboard boxes with urine or droppings on them. Plastic, glass and metal containers can be disinfected.^[3]
• Bag up exposed insulation that has urine and droppings on it.^[3]
• Dry washed bedding, clothing and stuffed animals on a high machine setting, or hang them to dry in the sun.^[3]
• Books, papers and other things you can't wet: leave them in sunlight for several hours, or in a rodent-free indoor spot for at least three weeks. CDC strongly suggests six weeks.^[3]
• If rodents have been in the heating or cooling ducts, CDC says to have a professional pest control service remove them. Duct-cleaning companies know the risks of rodents in ventilation systems.^[3]
• Camping or hiking: don't sweep out an infested cabin or shelter; disinfect it as above before sleeping in it. Pitch tents away from droppings and burrows, use a tent floor or ground cloth, and keep food in rodent-proof containers.^[9][11]

Heavy infestations

CDC calls for extra precautions in buildings with a heavy infestation, vacant buildings with many rodents, and places where a rodent-borne disease has been confirmed in the rodents. Workers doing this cleanup as part of their job should contact their state or local health department and occupational safety authority.^[3]

• Protective gear: coveralls (disposable if possible), rubber boots or disposable shoe covers, rubber, latex or vinyl gloves, and goggles.^[3]
• A half-mask air-purifying respirator with HEPA filters, or a powered air-purifying respirator with HEPA filters. Follow your state's fit-testing and lung-function requirements before using one.^[3]
• Decontaminate the gear when you take it off at the end of the day.^[3]

Symptoms

HPS symptoms usually start 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent; early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches.^[1]

New Mexico's health department says symptoms usually start about two weeks after exposure. About half of patients also have headaches, dizziness, chills, or stomach trouble such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and belly pain.^[11][1]

Four to 10 days after the first symptoms, coughing and shortness of breath set in as the lungs fill with fluid. Hospital care is usually needed.^[1][9]

Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease, according to CDC.^[1]

Other figures differ a little. CDC's case data show 35% of all reported U.S. cases ended in death, and Washington says about one in three people diagnosed with HPS have died.^[7][9]

There is no specific treatment; patients get supportive care, and some need a breathing tube. New Mexico says early intensive hospital care can save lives. Early testing can miss the virus, so doctors often repeat the test 72 hours after symptoms start.^[1][11]

Keep rodents out

Sealing small gaps and cracks to keep deer mice out of houses, cabins and outbuildings is the most effective protection.^[4][2]

Deer mice, the main U.S. carrier, live in forests, grasslands and farmland and enter homes mainly where fields, forests or large parks are nearby; they often move into vacant cabins and outbuildings.^[4][1]

• Check inside and out: under and behind kitchen cabinets, around pipes under sinks and to the water heater, around vents, dryer vents and utility lines, in the attic, basement and crawl space, and where the foundation meets the ground.^[5][12]
• Pack small holes with steel wool and hold it in place with caulk or spray foam. Use hardware cloth, lath screen, metal sheeting or cement for larger holes.^[5][12]
• Trap with snap traps. CDC says not to use glue traps or live traps, because frightened rodents urinate and that raises the chance of getting sick. UC IPM gives the same advice for deer mice.^[6][4]
• Set traps against the wall with the baited end touching it, forming a T, and bait with a pea-size dab of chunky peanut butter.^[6][12]
• Keep food, pet food and garbage in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids, and don't leave pet bowls out overnight. New Mexico also says to move woodpiles and compost bins more than 100 feet from the home.^[12][5]

Common questions

Can I vacuum mouse droppings?

No. CDC says not to vacuum or sweep rodent urine, droppings or nesting material.^[3]

Does hantavirus spread from person to person?

Only the Andes virus, found in South America, is known to spread person to person; the common U.S. hantavirus is spread by deer mice.^[1]

What if I already vacuumed the droppings?

Stop vacuuming and follow CDC's cleanup steps for what's left: air the room out, then soak the remaining droppings and the area with disinfectant before wiping up. If you get fever and muscle aches in the next few weeks, see a doctor and mention the rodents.^[3][1]

Will a dust mask protect me?

No. Washington's health department says a dust mask may give some protection against dust but does not protect against viruses. Wetting everything first is what keeps the virus out of the air; for heavy infestations CDC calls for a respirator with HEPA filters.^[9][3]

How long does hantavirus last in old droppings?

It depends on temperature, humidity, sunlight and whether the droppings are indoors or out. Since you can't tell how old droppings are, Washington's health department says to handle them all as if they are infectious.^[9]

Can my dog or cat give me hantavirus?

No. Washington says dogs and cats can be infected without getting sick and can't pass the virus on, but they can carry infected mice into the house.^[9]

Is someone with hantavirus contagious?

Not with the U.S. strains. New Mexico's health department says a person with HPS cannot give it to anyone else and can go back to work or school once they feel well enough. CDC says most hantaviruses don't spread person to person; the Andes virus of South America is the known exception.^[11][1][8]

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About Hantavirus.” www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Hantavirus Prevention.” www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/prevention/index.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “How to Clean Up After Rodents.” www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/clean-up.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Deer Mice.” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pndeermouse.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “How to Seal Up to Prevent Rodents.” www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/seal-up.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “How to Trap Up to Remove Rodents.” www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/trap-up.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Reported Cases of Hantavirus Disease.” www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/data-research/cases/index.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Clinical Overview of Hantavirus.” www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
9. Washington State Department of Health, “Hantavirus.” doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/hantavirus (accessed 2026-11-10)
10. New Mexico Department of Health, “Hantavirus.” www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/zdp/hps/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
11. New Mexico Department of Health, “Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (FAQ fact sheet, March 2025).” www.nmhealth.org/publication/view/help/887/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
12. New Mexico Department of Health, “Hantavirus Prevention Pamphlet.” www.nmhealth.org/publication/view/marketing/886/ (accessed 2026-11-10)