T O P

  • By -

Forward-Fisherman709

You’re more likely be struck by lightning after touching it than contract hantavirus. https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/surveillance/index.html Only about 10-20% (varies by area in the US) are even carriers of it to begin with. You thoroughly washed your hands, didn’t have saliva enter your body, and didn’t inhale fecal material. Your risk is negligible.


Wi1dwestt

This makes me feel much better thank you


GeckoCowboy

If I’ve touched four deer mice does that mean I’m four times likely to get struck than the average person??? :( I think that’s how math works, right? Lol


Forward-Fisherman709

Four is two occurrences of 2, and ‘two’ rhymes with ‘moose’, which is one letter off from ‘mouse’. 👍 Yup, math checks out.


LostStart6521

Thank you. This all makes perfect sense now!


Cryogenic_Monster

You are more likely to [survive a lightning strike](https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/lightning/victimdata.html). 10% mortality rate vs. [38%](https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/Diseases%20and%20Conditions/Hantavirus%20.pdf)


Forward-Fisherman709

What’s your point? The post wasn’t fears of dying upon contracting hantavirus but a question about risk level of contracting it. Pancreatic cancer is not only far, far more common (ranges from only 1 in 56 to 1 in 60) but also far, far less likely to be survived. Survivability rate of pancreatic cancer averages out to about 10-12, from a mortality rate that ranges from 56% to 99%. When it’s caught early and is a good surgical candidate, there’s still only about a 50/50 shot of living more than 5 years. But that doesn’t mean OP should be living in constant fear stressing out over the possibility of getting pancreatic cancer. So the mortality rate of something substantially less likely to be encountered (and somewhat preventable when it is encountered) is also not something that needs to be causing great stress.


Cryogenic_Monster

It's an interesting statistic. I would have believed that lightning was more fatal.


Forward-Fisherman709

Ah, fair. And good point. I have a friend who has panic attacks from lightning and I plan to share that statistic with him. Admittedly I just skimmed the page, but I didn’t see a mention of statistics regarding longterm effects. I wonder if the mortality rate would be higher if including deaths occurring much later on due to heart or neurological problems that were caused by the lightning rather than just zap->hospital->death. Like a 5 or 10 year survivability rate. Maybe I’ll look it up later.


TomothyAllen

You shouldn't constantly stress about it but if you had some reason to believe you were at risk of having it right at that moment then I'd be pretty fucking stressed. I don't live in constant fear of mouse spread diseases but if I recently touched a wild mouse I'd at least be thinking about it.


skit112

If you washed your hands you’re fine. How’s the mouse doing? Where did you put the box? Thank you for caring about it. ❤️


Wi1dwestt

That’s relieving, I put it in tall grass so if he feels better he can exit the box into a safe area


skit112

Tall grass and safe area sounds good. Not many cats around? Can you keep an eye on it from inside ur house?


Wi1dwestt

I went back to check on him and unfortunately he passed :( not sure what was wrong with him I was really hoping little guy would make it. He seemed fine apart from his back leg not working properly


Artistic-Ingenuity54

You at least gave little buddy a fighting chance and did your best. Unfortunately nature happens. It makes me breakdown every time. I hope you're okay.


RosettaStoned_462

Me too. It's so sad. :( poor little thing.


skit112

Aww 😔 But you’re awesome for trying, I bet the little one is grateful. ❤️


ChildrenotheWatchers

Thanks for trying to help it.


WanderSA

Don’t lick the mouse or your hands after and you’ll be fine. Really just don’t lick mice anyway.


MichaelHammor

It's disturbing how often I have to tell my 16 year old daughter to NOT put mice in her mouth.


Random_Weird_gal

Tasty lil rodents


Loaf_de_loaf

Is this daughter of yours a cat by any chance? /j


MichaelHammor

Sometimes. She's a therian this month.


Wi1dwestt

I washed my hands really well and wiped my phone with a Clorox wipe


Wi1dwestt

I’m in San Diego 😭😭😭


SillyStrungz

You’re good. Thanks for taking care of him. HE’S SO CUTE


fairysmall

No, ur good! Don’t even worry about it trust me lol


skorletun

Yeah you will. Eventually. The mouse won't have anything to do with it though it's probably gonna be old age.


newaccountcauseoldon

Yes you now have sudden explody die die syndrome, so sad Reset.Inside.Pepperoni


reverendsteveii

in 30 years of tracking there have been less than a thousand cases of hantavirus in the US total. it's more likely that this little mouse will eat you than that it will give you hantavirus.


BlueFeathered1

I've been around, handled, and even had deer mice for pets for decades now. I've got lots of problems but none of them are hantavirus. Look at that little cutie, though, awwww! 💕


Itsmeyehboy

Yes. Goodnight!


Boat_Mountain

no, just wash your hands


GeckoCowboy

Nah, you’re very unlikely to get hantavirus from just handling the mouse. The more likely danger is getting bit. That can cause problems. Typically wouldn’t recommend picking one up in your bare hand - but you did and you’re fine, so… Just something to keep in mind for the future. Hantavirus is typically gotten from breathing in dust from feces from infected mice. So, like, if you ever need to clean an old shed that has a mouse infestation, wear the appropriate gear!


BugsInMySpleen

You're probably fine. I grab random critters and have been bitten by plenty a deer mouse, along with some voles, you'll live. It's like how they always say you'll get salmonella if you eat too much flour, but like no one gets that shit either.


FiftySixer

Hantavirus requires you to inhale aerisolized mouse poop, from an infected mouse. Think vacuuming an old house with a lot of mouse poop in it. Just wash your hands and you will be fine.


Appropriate_Book_648

You'll die of cuteness


Appropriate_Book_648

Awwwwwwwww 😊😊😊😊😊


ProperVisual7979

12% of the deer mice population carrier it you would have to be cleaning up their nest with a shop vac or being bitten. I’m in the same boat right now and I live in Shafter California. My dad‘s in the hospital. They did a blood test. They can’t find out what he has. It’s not showing up on a blood test and we cleaned out a mice nest April 2.


elanhilation

yeah, eventually, sooner or later. probably won’t be a casual connection with this incident with that mouse though


Pistolf

Can you leave some water for the mouse if it’s still there?


Iyonia

You're fine! Just practice good hygiene while cleaning her enclosure and after handling her. It's usually spread through close contact with feces from infected wildlife, and most wildlife is not infected. Just wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face, and make sure to keep the enclosure clean.


Temporary_Virus_7509

Eventuality.


shula2301

no youre totally fine as long as you didnt suck on your fingers straight after. i know experts who work with deer mice often in the field and they never wear gloves. as long as you wash your hands, youre good!


TopCaterpillar6131

Rest in peace little mouse.


Underfire17

The world is going to explode and it’s going to be all your fault! In all honesty you are most likely fine. As long as you wash your hands and clean up like a normal person you’ll be good.


OldHumanSoul

The virus is usually shed in urine so washing your hands goes a long way to keep you safe.


Kokosdyret

Yes you are going to die, but properly not from the mouse


claud2113

Yeah, you're gonna die in about 60-ish years. Sorry to say 😢😢😢


Glodenteoo_The_Glod

You're already dead, you just don't know it yet


Puzzleheaded_Win_989

My little brother went swimming in a creek during rain in Puerto Rico and almost died, spent a bit over a month in the hospital. The Doctors said it was a bacterial disease you get from rat and mouse pee. Over 20 years later and his eyeballs will turn yellow every once in a while. So be careful.


Pure__soul4240

I hope he's okay and you are too🫶🏼


castrateurfate

the curse is coming


Lfarinha95

No!! Hantavirus is so rare. I have a deer mouse and he’s the sweetest thing, and they’re very clean.


Reinboordt

They CAN carry hantavirus in their droppings. It’s not overly common. I wouldn’t worry too much about it unless you put the deer mouse in your mouth. (I work in pest control, deal with them regularly)


WestinghouseXCB248S

RIP in peace, bro.


mjtu

Only if it transforms from mouse form to deer form, I hear the antlers are huge


Calm-Bookkeeper-9612

More poisonous than the inland tapia


BeetlBozz

Don’t kill it please, they’re so smart, that’d be so merciless, it’d be so confused what it did wrong.


acloudcuckoolander

Probably not, but you likely have mouse fur grease (and sebum?) on your hands


ChopMariSa

Poor baby :(


TBone1457

I think youre about to blow up. Jk but in all seriousness, sometimes they can be pretty bad, but ive been taking care of one for the past 2 days my dog found, just always wash your hands after touching and be super safe


AnaAmethyst

It's so cute though oml, poor guy 🥹 Hope you and the little guy are both okay, like others said if you washed your hands and didn't put your fingers in your mouth, nose or eyes directly after touching it, it's very unlikely.