As someone prone to health anxiety, and an epidemiologist in training, I get the occasional scare.
Today I was halfway through leaf-blowing our garage before noticing mouse droppings. In Colorado, deer mice are common. They are the primary reservoir of Hantavirus, which spreads via aerosolized feces and urine (CDC, 2025).
For repeated occupational exposure, Hantavirus has an estimated attack rate of 0.00071, or 1 case per 1,412 individuals exposed via rodent handling (PMID: 18252096). This, however, was a short, one-time exposure.
With a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of ~35% (PMID: 21762572), my estimated odds of infection from this incident are about 1 in 3,332, then a 35% chance of death if infected.
The risk is low, but the reminder is important: never sweep or blow around mouse droppings. Spray, soak, and wipe. Even anxious epidemiologists need that reminder.
CDPHE - https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html
#Hantavirus #HealthAnxiety #Epidemiology #InfectiousDiseaseEpidemiology #EnvironmentalEpidemiology
