Iowa health experts explain how hantavirus spreads and why risk is low

As people remain under observation in Omaha over hantavirus concerns, Iowa doctors and pest experts say the virus is rare and poses little risk to most residents.

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As more than a dozen people remain quarantined and under observation inside the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha over hantavirus, Iowa physicians and pest control experts say Iowans should not be worried about the risk of spread.”Hantavirus itself is not easily communicable,” said Dr. Aneesa Afroze, an infectious disease specialist at MercyOne Medical Center and the center’s director of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.Afroze tells KCCI that hantavirus infections in humans are rare and are not spread easily from person to person. “It also is not spread like your COVID or influenza just by passing by or coughing on each other. This is spread by very close contact for a prolonged period of time,” said Afroze.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 890 hantavirus cases reported in the United States from 1993 through the end of 2023. Twelve of those cases were in Iowa.Afroze tells KCCI exposure most often happens when people come into contact with infected rodents while traveling, including on trips to national parks, caves, expeditions or safaris.”Most of the time, people get it when they get exposed to infected rodents like mice and things like that,” said Afroze. Darian Campbell is the office manager at her family’s pest control company, The Bug Man, in Des Moines. She’s also a year away from getting her master’s in entomology. “Some species of rats and mice can carry the hantavirus, which is then spread through their feces, urine, and saliva,” said Campbell. “The main species in Iowa that carries it is the deer mouse.”Campbell tells KCCI mice most commonly found in homes are not the ones associated with hantavirus.”Typically, the calls we get are for house mice, and those do not carry the hantavirus,” said Campbell.Still, though, Campbell says precautions are important when cleaning rodent droppings or contaminated areas.”For anybody at home cleaning up any type of droppings or things like that, it’s important to spray with an anti-bacterial spray first and then wipe because sweeping or vacuuming can kind of put those particles into the air, which then they can breathe,” said Campbell. Both Campbell and Afroze emphasized that hantavirus remains uncommon.”It’s pretty rare. It’s not something that you worry about very often,” said Campbell.”Normal people like us — day to day living — I don’t think anybody has to worry about it. The risk is not zero, but it’s extremely close to that,” said Afroze.The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services tells KCCI it is not monitoring passengers from the MV Hondius for hantavirus symptoms and is not aware of any confirmed hantavirus cases among Iowa residents associated with the situation. The department said it will continue coordinating with the CDC and other public health partners as appropriate.

“Hantavirus itself is not easily communicable,” said Dr. Aneesa Afroze, an infectious disease specialist at MercyOne Medical Center and the center’s director of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

Afroze tells KCCI that hantavirus infections in humans are rare and are not spread easily from person to person.

“It also is not spread like your COVID or influenza just by passing by or coughing on each other. This is spread by very close contact for a prolonged period of time,” said Afroze.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 890 hantavirus cases reported in the United States from 1993 through the end of 2023. Twelve of those cases were in Iowa.

Afroze tells KCCI exposure most often happens when people come into contact with infected rodents while traveling, including on trips to national parks, caves, expeditions or safaris.

“Most of the time, people get it when they get exposed to infected rodents like mice and things like that,” said Afroze.

Darian Campbell is the office manager at her family’s pest control company, The Bug Man, in Des Moines. She’s also a year away from getting her master’s in entomology.

“Some species of rats and mice can carry the hantavirus, which is then spread through their feces, urine, and saliva,” said Campbell. “The main species in Iowa that carries it is the deer mouse.”

Campbell tells KCCI mice most commonly found in homes are not the ones associated with hantavirus.

“Typically, the calls we get are for house mice, and those do not carry the hantavirus,” said Campbell.

Still, though, Campbell says precautions are important when cleaning rodent droppings or contaminated areas.

“For anybody at home cleaning up any type of droppings or things like that, it’s important to spray with an anti-bacterial spray first and then wipe because sweeping or vacuuming can kind of put those particles into the air, which then they can breathe,” said Campbell.

Both Campbell and Afroze emphasized that hantavirus remains uncommon.

“It’s pretty rare. It’s not something that you worry about very often,” said Campbell.

“Normal people like us — day to day living — I don’t think anybody has to worry about it. The risk is not zero, but it’s extremely close to that,” said Afroze.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services tells KCCI it is not monitoring passengers from the MV Hondius for hantavirus symptoms and is not aware of any confirmed hantavirus cases among Iowa residents associated with the situation. The department said it will continue coordinating with the CDC and other public health partners as appropriate.