BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Maine health officials say the first case of a potentially fatal respiratory condition spread by the common house mouse has been diagnosed in the state.
Officials say the case reported last month in Somerset County was in a man in his 70s. He is recovering.
Officials say hantavirus pulmonary syndrome comes on quickly and there is no effective vaccine or cure. It has a fatality rate of 30 percent to 40 percent.
But state epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Sears says people needn’t be overly concerned.
Sears says people need to clean up areas that include mice and other rodents.
The most common form of transmission is airborne particles. Sears tells the Bangor Daily News people should wet down mousy areas before cleaning.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.