Hantavirus Prevention — Exposure Control

No licensed hantavirus vaccine is available in Europe or North America. The only authorised vaccine — South Korea's Hantavax — covers Hantaan virus. Prevention is therefore exposure control: reducing rodent populations, suppressing aerosol generation when cleaning, and using appropriate respiratory protection.

Reduce rodent presence around homes

• Seal entry points larger than 6 mm with steel wool plus caulk; cover vents and chimneys with hardware cloth.
• Remove food sources: store grain and pet food in sealed metal or glass containers; remove fallen fruit; secure rubbish.
• Remove harbourage: cut grass and brush within 30 m of structures; elevate woodpiles at least 30 cm off the ground and 30 m from the house.
• Use snap traps continuously; rotate locations; bait with peanut butter or sunflower seeds.
• Avoid live-capture-and-release for confirmed Peromyscus or Apodemus — release sites become re-infestation sources.

Safe cleaning of rodent-contaminated areas

Per CDC procedures, never sweep or vacuum dry excreta — both aerosolise virus. The protocol:

1. Ventilate the space for at least 30 minutes before entry; leave doors and windows open.
2. Wear an N95/FFP3 respirator, rubber or latex gloves, and goggles.
3. Saturate excreta and contaminated surfaces with 1:10 household bleach (5,000 ppm) or an EPA-registered disinfectant; allow 5 minutes' contact.
4. Wipe up with paper towels; bag waste; double-bag and seal.
5. Mop the floor with disinfectant; do not vacuum even after disinfection.
6. Wash gloved hands before removing gloves; wash bare hands after; launder clothes in hot water.

Outdoor and occupational exposure

• Avoid sleeping near rodent burrows or nests when camping; use ground tarps; air out cabins before sleeping.
• Inspect agricultural machinery and grain stores before entry; wear an N95/FFP3 if disturbing accumulated dust.
• Conservation, wildlife, and pest-control workers should follow site-specific safety plans; HPS has been documented in field biologists handling Peromyscus and Apodemus species.

Travel precautions for endemic regions

HORIZON country pages document recent activity for travellers heading to endemic areas: Argentina, Chile, United States (Four Corners), Germany, Finland, China, South Korea. Standard advice: avoid rodent-occupied buildings, avoid disturbing rodent nests during hiking or excursions, prefer modern accommodation, and report rodent infestation to lodge staff.

Vaccine status (2026)

← Back to hantavirus overview

Open the live outbreak map →

Step-by-step rodent-contaminated cleanup protocol (CDC method)

If you find evidence of rodent infestation (droppings, nests, urine stains, gnaw marks, dead rodents) in a building, do NOT sweep or vacuum without preparation. The CDC's evidence-based protocol — used as the reference standard in occupational health worldwide — requires the following steps in order.

1. Air out the space for at least 30 minutes before entry. Open all windows and doors. Leave the area while it airs.
2. Put on PPE before re-entering: disposable gloves (nitrile or latex), an FFP3 or N95 respirator (not a surgical mask), eye protection (goggles, not glasses), and a long-sleeved cover-up that can be washed at high temperature afterwards.
3. Spray, do not sweep. Mix a 10% bleach solution: 1 part household bleach (5-6% sodium hypochlorite) to 9 parts cold water. Spray heavily on all visible rodent droppings, urine spots, nesting material, and the immediate surrounding area. Let soak for at least 5 minutes.
4. Wipe up with disposable paper towels. Pick up disinfected material with paper towels and place into a sealable plastic bag. Double-bag and seal.
5. Mop or sponge the entire floor of affected rooms with bleach solution or a disinfectant cleaner.
6. Wash bedding, clothing, and soft furnishings that may have been exposed in hot water (60°C minimum) with normal detergent. Items that cannot be washed should be sealed in bags and discarded.
7. Disinfect hard surfaces (countertops, shelving) with a disinfectant cleaner or bleach solution. Allow to air-dry.
8. Remove PPE last. Take off gloves last so contaminated hands never touch your face. Wash hands and forearms thoroughly with soap and warm water. Shower as soon as practical and wash the clothing worn during cleanup.
9. Dispose of all cleanup waste in sealed bags in outdoor bins, not indoor wastebaskets.

For heavily contaminated structures (long-abandoned cabins, large infestations), engage a licensed pest-control professional. The risk of HPS from a single high-dose cleanup exposure is substantially higher than from routine maintenance.

Long-term rodent exclusion — preventing recurrence

Cleanup addresses the immediate hazard; exclusion is what stops recurrence. The CDC, the UK Health and Safety Executive, and the WHO all agree on the same principles:

• Seal entry points. Mice can squeeze through openings as small as 6 mm (1/4 inch); rats need ~12 mm. Use steel wool stuffing followed by caulk, expanding foam, or hardware cloth. Common entry points: gaps around utility penetrations, under door sweeps, vent screens, foundation cracks, soffit edges.
• Eliminate food sources. Store dry goods in heavy plastic, glass, or metal containers with tight-fitting lids. Keep pet food in sealed containers and never leave it out overnight. Empty bird feeders and clean up spilled seed.
• Eliminate water sources. Fix leaking taps, drains, and appliance seals. Cover toilet lids overnight in heavily infested structures.
• Remove harbourage. Clear brush, wood piles, and dense shrubs within 30 m of the building. Keep grass cut short. Eliminate indoor clutter, especially in basements, attics, and garages.
• Trap, do not poison, where possible. Snap traps and electronic traps allow safe disposal of carcasses; poisons leave dying rodents in walls and crawlspaces where they decompose and may attract secondary scavengers.
• Monitor. Place trail cameras or sticky monitor traps along walls to detect activity early. New activity warrants escalation.

Outdoor and occupational exposure prevention

Many HPS cases worldwide are not from cleanup but from occupational or recreational outdoor exposure: agricultural work, hunting, conservation, camping in cabins, opening seasonal accommodation, military deployment. Specific precautions:

• Camping: choose tents over closed cabins where possible. If using a cabin, air it out for 30 minutes before entry, inspect for rodent activity, and treat any signs per the cleanup protocol above before settling in.
• Agricultural work: store hay and grain at least 30 m from sleeping quarters; rodent-proof grain silos with metal sheeting at the base.
• Conservation and field biology: use HEPA-filtered respirators when handling small mammals; sampling in known endemic areas should follow American Society of Mammalogists ANSI-equivalent rodent-handling guidelines.
• Military and emergency response: deployed accommodation in endemic areas should be inspected and cleared before occupancy. The US DoD CHPPM TG-138 and equivalent UK MoD guidance cover this.
• Travel to ANDV endemic regions (southern Chile/Argentina): avoid remote cabins or shelters known to have rodent activity. Pack a basic PPE kit (gloves, N95 mask, small bleach bottle) if planning rural overnight stays.

Vaccine status — 2026

No hantavirus vaccine is licensed in the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Australia, or any major Western jurisdiction as of May 2026. A summary of the global state:

Behavioural prevention remains the foundation of hantavirus risk reduction. Vaccine policy in Europe and North America may shift if the MV Hondius 2026 cluster prompts review.

Prevention for travellers — country-specific guidance

• USA / Canada: CDC and Health Canada both publish guidance. Highest-risk areas are the Four Corners region (AZ, CO, NM, UT) and deer-mouse habitat across the rural southwest and northern interior.
• Chile / Argentina: Avoid remote cabins or shelters with rodent activity. Pack a basic PPE kit if rural overnight stays are planned. The Magallanes, Aysén, Patagonia, and Neuquén regions are highest risk.
• Scandinavia / Germany: Risk peaks in autumn/winter when bank voles enter buildings. Standard cleanup precautions if dealing with infested summer cottages.
• China / Korea: Agricultural workers should follow national vaccination programmes where available (Hantavax in Korea, Hantavac in China). Travellers in urban areas have minimal risk.
• UK / Ireland: Hantavirus is rare in the British Isles and limited to Seoul virus from pet/wild brown rat exposure. UKHSA reports under 10 confirmed cases annually.