Public health officials are warning the public of the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which people can acquire through mouse droppings. With the weather warming up, officials expect a major uptick in these viral infections, according to The Washington Post.
Here are five points:
1. The respiratory illness kills up to 40 percent of infected individuals.
2. Hantavirus infects people when they breathe in the dust from rodents' urine, saliva and droppings.
3. The virus increases in the spring when people are cleaning their homes and move air around, which may be infused with the virus.
4. Researchers have not created a specific treatment, cure or vaccine for the infection. However, the Post reports if providers recognize an infection early, the individual can receive medical attention in an intensive care unit and have a better likelihood for a recovery.
5. A 2010 outbreak in California-based Yosemite National Park infected 10 people and killed three.
