Why all the fuss about spraying disinfectant, washing traps with bleach, and such?
These viruses are surrounded by a lipid (fatty) envelope, so they are somewhat fragile. The lipid envelope can be destroyed and the virus killed by fat solvents like alcohol, ordinary disinfectants and household bleach. That is why one of the most important ways to prevent transmitting the disease is to carefully wet down dead rodents and areas where rodents have been with disinfectant and/or bleach. When you do this, you are killing the virus itself and reducing the chance that the virus will get into the air. Summing up: How to prevent HPS • make your home, workplace, vacation home unattractive to them • clean up infested areas using safety precautions • wet down infested areas with bleach/disinfectant to kill the virus before it aerosolizes • in other words: AIR OUT, SEAL UP, TRAP UP, CLEAN UP Special Precautions for Homes of Persons with Confirmed Hantavirus Infection or Buildings with Heavy Rodent Infestations Special precautions should be used for cleaning homes or buildings with
