Key facts

Transmission: Airborne and, though less common, direct contact with rodent waste (the reservoirs of hantaviruses are rodents)

Breathing in airborne particles of rodent waste (urine and faeces)
Touching the eyes, nose or mouth after touching rodent droppings, urine or nests (suspected, not confirmed)
Rodent bite (suspected, not confirmed)
Close contact with people who have HPS (very rare)

Most vulnerable to contracting the disease

People who come in contact with rodents, their nests, droppings and urine

Symptoms

Tiredness
Fever, chills
Muscle aches, especially in large muscle groups (thighs, hips, back)
Headaches and dizziness (sometimes)
Nausea and vomiting (sometimes)
Abdominal pain (sometimes)
Diarrhoea (sometimes)
Coughing (usually occurs after other symptoms)
Shortness of breath (usually occurs after other symptoms)

What can you do to prevent and control an epidemic?

Reservoir control and prevention

Promote the use of rodent traps inside and outside homes
Promote the use of other rodent control measures such as keeping cats

Monitoring the community and identifying sick people

Identify people with suspected HPS quickly according to community case definition

Treatment and management

Refer sick people to health facilities
Provide psychosocial support to the sick person and their family members

Safe shelters and spaces

Promote secured spaces and prevent rodents from entering houses or accessing stored food and water (including pet or animal food)
Follow recommended environmental hygiene practices
- Dispose of rubbish in rodent-proof containers to minimize possible nesting sites
- Clean and disinfect areas where there is evidence of rodents

Sanitation and waste management

Encourage disinfection of homes and other spaces with evidence of rodents
Promote proper and safe disposal of dead rodents
Follow recommended kitchen hygiene practices (for example, clean floors and wash dishes and utensils immediately)

Personal protection and hygiene

Promote the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectants when cleaning up rodent droppings and nesting materials
Promote handwashing with soap
- BEFORE: preparing food; eating; feeding a child; treating wounds; or caring for sick people
- AFTER: using the toilet or cleaning a baby; touching garbage or waste, especially rodent waste; touching or feeding animals; blowing nose, coughing or sneezing; treating wounds; or caring for sick people

Social mobilization and health promotion

Find out the specific advice being given by health and other relevant authorities
Model following this advice and inform community members of current health practice advice
Offer support and encouragement to follow the advice
- Try to gain understanding about if and why health practice advice is not being followed
- With the guidance of your supervisor and health authorities, work with communities to overcome barriers to following health advice and recommended practices

Mapping and community assessment

Make a map of the community.
Mark the following information on the map:
- How many people have fallen sick with hantavirus? Where?
- How many people have died? Where? When?
- Who and where are the vulnerable people?
- Where are the local health facilities and services? (include traditional healers)
Record the following information on the back of the map:
- When did people start to fall sick with hantavirus?
- How many people live in the affected community? How many are children under five years?
- How do people in the community store their food?
  - Are rats or other rodents able to eat it or contaminate it?
- How do people in the community dispose of rubbish and solid waste? (put communal rubbish disposal sites on the map)
  - Have the authorities established a reservoir control programme?
  - Do community members have any risky habits or practices when they come into contact with live or dead rodents?
- How do people dispose of dead rodents? (For example, are they buried, thrown in the river, burned?)
- What handwashing facilities are available? (put communal handwashing stations on map)
  - Do they have soap?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick people? Consider any differences in roles and responsibilities between women and men.
  - When babies and infants are sick, do women continue to breastfeed them?
- Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
- What are the barriers people face in accessing water points and sanitation and hygiene facilities, of all gender identities, ages, disabilities and backgrounds?
- Which sources do people use/trust the most for information?
  - Are there rumours or misinformation about hantavirus? What are the rumours?

Volunteer actions

01. Community-based surveillance 02. Community mapping 03. Communicating with the community 04. Community referral to health facilities 05. Volunteer protection and safety 06. Personal protection equipment (PPE) for highly infectious diseases 19. Psychosocial support 29. Hygiene promotion 34. Handwashing with soap 36. Vector and reservoir control 38. Waste disposal and clean-up campaigns 43. Social mobilization and behaviour change