True Story/Haunta Virus??!!

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

Someone sent me this e-mail today.....Something to think about next time you buy a canned coke from a machine...TRUE STORY. HAPPENED IN JULY 1999 > >> > > A stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom > >> > at their Maui, Hawaii > >> > > location. When he got back, he was complaining > >> > that the storeroom was > >> > really > >> > > filthy, and that he had noticed dried mouse or rat > >> > droppings in some > >> > areas. > >> > > A couple of days later, he started feeling > >> > like he was coming down > >> > with > >> > > stomach flu, achy joints, headache, and he started > >> > throwing up. He went to > >> > > bed and never really got up. Within two days he > >> > was so ill and weak. His > >> > > blood sugar count was down to 66 and his face and > >> > eyeballs were yellow. He > >> > > was rushed to the emergency at Pali Momi, where > >> > they said he was suffering > >> > > from massive organ failure! He died shortly before > >> > midnight. > >> > > None of us would have ever made the connection > >> > between his job and his > >> > > death, but the doctors specifically asked if he > >> > had been in a warehouse or > >> > > exposed to dried rat or mouse droppings at any > >> > time. They said there is a > >> > > virus (much like Hanta virus) that lives in dried > >> > rat and mouse droppings. > >> > > Once dried, these droppings are like dust, and can > >> > easily be or ingested > >> > if a > >> > > person is not careful to wash their hands and face > >> > thoroughly, or wear > >> > > protective gear. An autopsy was conducted to > >> > verify the doctors' > >> > > suspicions. > >> > > This is why it is extremely important to > >> > ALWAYS carefully rinse off > >> > the > >> > > tops of any canned sodas or foods, and wipe off > >> > pasta packaging, cereal > >> > > boxes, etc. Almost everything you buy in a > >> > supermarket was stored in a > >> > > warehouse at one time or another, and stores > >> > themselves often have > >> > rodents. > >> > > Most of us remember to wash vegetables and > >> > fruit but we never think of > >> > > boxes and cans. The ugly truth is........ even > >> > the most modern, > >> > upper-class, > >> > > super store has rats and mice. And their > >> > Warehouse most assuredly does. > >> > > Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please > >> > make sure that you wash > >> > > the top with running water and soap, or if not > >> > available, drink with a > >> > straw. > >> > > A family friend died after drinking a can of soda! > >> > A brief investigation > >> > by > > >> > > the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta > >> > discovered the cause. The top > >> > was > >> > > encrusted with dried rat's urine which is toxic > >> > and obviously lethal!!!! > >> > > Canned drinks and other food stuffs are stored > >> > in warehouses and > >> > > containers that are usually infested with rodents > >> > and then get transported > >> > to > >> > > the retail outlets without being properly cleaned. > >> > > Please forward this message to the people you > >> > care about

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), August 25, 2000

Answers

My mother taught us to always wash the tops of cans and things before opening them -- I thought she was being a little too picky but can certainly see the reason for it now! If only I could keep the mice OUT of my kitchen cabinets!!! :-(

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 25, 2000.

I had heard about this as well and it was a true story. Thanks for sending us all the reminder to wipe things down before we open them. But, I'm afraid I'm with Kathleen because I have trouble keeping the mice out of my kitchen as well particularly in the fall.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), August 25, 2000.

I am usually very skeptical of this alarmist stuff, but I know for a fact that Bonnie's story could be true. I worked for ten years driving an 18-wheeler. Almost everyday I went to a warehouse to either pick up or deliver a load. I've been in thousands of warehouses. I've seen cats, dogs, squirrels, birds, bats, and countless rats, mice and insects. I don't mean to imply that warehouses are all filthy. Actually, most of them do a very good job of keeping neat and clean, and most of them have hundreds of commercial rodent traps (one at every door). The traps help, but the nature of their business requires that they have many very large doors that are often open. A rodent can slip in extremely fast, and it may be days before he makes his way to a trap. Well, you already know the rest of the story. I wash my containers, do you?

-- Jim (catchthesun@yahoo.com), August 25, 2000.

I have an answer for your mice problems , some good mousers .I sometimes hate having so many cats around . But then I do enjoy not seeing any mice except when they bring them home dead .

P.S. I still have some good kittens left any takers ? Well it was worth a try .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 25, 2000.


Does anyone have any information whether the Hanta virus can affect your housepets, such as cats or dogs? My best mouser died recently, but I still have a good mouser. I never wanted to let them eat the mice for fear of what they would "get" -- fleas, tapeworms, maybe Hanta virus?

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), August 26, 2000.


We have a good mouser, but the mice move around in the spaces in the walls and the ceiling, in order to get to the kitchen cabinets, and the cat can't get to them. We keep mouse traps in the cabinets, and whenever we hear scurrying little feet overhead we put poison in their holes, so they aren't usually around for more than a few days, but pretty soon a new batch finds their way in. Of course, it doesn't help that this house is so old that the cellar is built of boulders with no cement. Even if there wasn't any other way in, which I'm sure there is, there's no way we could block up the whole cellar. If the Lord ever gives us the opportunity to build again, one of my considerations is to not leave any hiding places for mice, i.e. no hollow walls or ceilings where the cat can't go!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 26, 2000.

Hantavirus is something we worry about here (in New Mexico) but the Center for Disease Control guidelines seem pretty straightforward. Any time you have to work in an area where you might reasonably expect to find mouse droppings, wear a dust mask and gloves, and wash both your body and your clothes as soon as you're done. The virus is usually taken into the lungs when droppings are disturbed and the dust around them stirred up. It's annoying to have to think of mouse poo as a biohazard, but that's the way of it.

Also -- if it's of any comfort -- not everyone exposed to hantavirus comes down with (I think this is what it's called) Hantavirus Respiratory Syndrome. Fortunately, since that's where things get really dicey.

As with most nasty bugs, the people at greatest risk are the very young, the very old and anyone with a compromised immune system.

On the upside, it's an uncommon infection. Something to be thankful for, at least!

-- Christine (cytrowbridge@zianet.com), August 30, 2000.


Christine, we are getting Hanta Virus reports even in W. Washington, albeit rarely. We are pretty careful about setting up camp when we go to the Southwest, though, since I believe that's where much of the illness has been traced to. Rodent nesting areas are fairly easy to identify and stay away from, fortunately.

One case up here was from an older person cleaning out a very dirty garage...ran into mouse feces, and thus they contracted the illness and got sick and died.

I thought this disease was mostly related to the Kangaroo Mouse or some particular species. Anyone have more information?

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), August 30, 2000.


I have rats in my rabbit barn and the cats keep after them but there are still a few. I asked the doctor at my last checkup about rat droppings and he said it is In rats that live in woods and since we are in town he didnt think It was a problem .

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), August 31, 2000.

i think that the haunta virus is unbeatable. i don't think that our scientists can wipe it out. i think so because you can't know which mouse has it and we can't kill every mouse in the world, this might not be good. Hey those cats sound cute girl!

--Kelsea

-- kelsea (kelSEA da babe@aol.com), September 24, 2001.



Moderation questions? read the FAQ