MOUNT VERNON -- State Health Department tests confirmed the presence of hantavirus, said Peter Browning, director of the Skagit County Health Department. The hantavirus infection is spread by the common deer mouse.

"It's pretty rare for this area," he said. "We knew it was in the mouse population a while ago, and we can assume there were cases in the past, but none verified by a lab."

County health department investigators hope to identify where Chase may have been exposed to the virus. Because the disease cannot be spread through human contact, local residents should not become alarmed, Browning said.

Migrant workers and people who work around barns where deer mice could be present are among those most at risk for contracting the virus.

ABOUT HANTAVIRUS

§         Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is characterized by fever, chills and severe muscle aches, followed by difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath.

§         Deer mice are the main carriers of the deadly virus, which kills 40 percent of people infected.

§         To prevent the disease, wear gloves and a dust mask when cleaning a rodent-infested area or a shed or cabin that has been closed up.

§         Soak mouse nests and droppings with a solution that is one cup bleach to 10 cups water. Don't stir up any dust; use mops or rags soaked in the bleach solution.

For more information contact:

Alan L. Wozniak, CIAQP

(800) 422-7873 ext. 802

info@pureaircontrols.com