Before you enter
Any structure that has been closed for the winter or for an extended absence — cabin, summer house, shed, barn, garage, storage container — should be assumed to harbour rodent activity until proven otherwise. Open all doors and windows and leave the building to ventilate for at least 30 minutes before entering. Stay outside while it airs.
Safe cleanup of rodent infestations
Do not sweep or vacuum dry droppings. Both methods aerosolise virus particles directly into your breathing zone. Instead:
- Wear an N95 (or better) respirator, rubber or latex gloves and eye protection.
- Spray droppings, urine stains and nesting material with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) or a registered EPA disinfectant. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Pick up wet material with paper towels and double-bag in plastic.
- Disinfect the area again, then mop floors and wipe surfaces with bleach solution.
- Wash gloves before removing; wash hands thoroughly afterwards.
Rodent-proofing structures
Mice can squeeze through openings as small as 6 mm (¼ inch); rats need about 12 mm (½ inch). Seal gaps around pipes, vents, foundation cracks and door thresholds with steel wool packed into expanding foam, hardware cloth, sheet metal or cement. Trim vegetation back from exterior walls. Store food in sealed metal or hard-plastic containers. Eliminate water sources. Trap-monitor seasonally.
Camping and back-country
In endemic regions, choose lodgings with rodent-proof construction. Avoid sleeping directly on the ground in rodent-heavy areas; use a tent with a sealed floor or sleep on a raised pad. Store food in rodent-resistant containers. Inspect refugios, huts and shelters before use; if you find droppings, ventilate before settling in.
Vaccination — limited availability
Inactivated hantavirus vaccines targeting Hantaan and Seoul viruses (e.g., Hantavax) are licensed in South Korea and China, where they are routinely administered to rural agricultural and military populations. No hantavirus vaccine is licensed in Europe, the Americas, Africa or Oceania as of 2026. Several DNA and mRNA candidate vaccines targeting Andes and Sin Nombre viruses are in Phase 1–2 trials.