The 2 responses I have received so far:
Thanks for sharing, Jessica! This is just to share the Pathogen Safety Data Sheet (Canada) for Hantavirus, which includes chemical and physical inactivation methods. Is heat treatment an option? https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/laboratory-biosafety-biosecurity/pathogen-safety-data-sheets-risk-assessment/hantavirus.html
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Gina Agron
Health Consultant
Alaska Occupational Safety & Health, Consultation and Training
1251 Muldoon Road, Suite 104
Anchorage, AK 99504
(907)269-4939
While the original question was asking about the potential to use a heat treatment to decontaminate from hantavirus, instead of answering that question, I wanted to pass on the comment to ensure workers used adequate personal protective equipment. This guidance developed by DoD might be helpful: https://ph.health.mil/PHC%20Resource%20Library/Hantavirus%20Prevention%20Cleanup%20of%20Rodent%20Contamination.pdf
This Mayo Clinic article says that the death rate from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome be 30-50%, so protecting workers from exposure to hantavirus is especially important.
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Joy Erdman, MS, CIH, CSP
Joy Solutions LLC
Falls Church, VA 22043
Office: (703) 241-7794
Mobile: (703) 598-7529
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Jessica Ricchio
North & Northwest Program Leader Workforce Health and Safety
McHenry IL
(815) 701-6365
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-05-2024 13:21
From: Kathlyn Guttman
Subject: Hantavirus cleanup in a historic house museum
Hi everyone,
Our historic house museum, Scotty's Castle, is experiencing higher than average rodent levels this past year and the park's leadership is concerned about hantavirus risk from rodent levels. We are trying to figure out how to effectively neutralize hantavirus in rodent excrement during the cleanup without harming the historic structure. Almost all of the furniture has been removed from the Castle, so the only surface we will need to clean is the terracotta tile floors.
The standard cleaning protocol for hantavirus is to thoroughly wet the droppings with a bleach solution such as Lysol, wait for five minutes, then wipe up the droppings with a paper towel. Does anyone know if following this procedure could cause damage to terracotta tiles? I am planning to test the bleach on a piece of tile before we begin cleanup, and also planning to have the cleaning crew wash off the bleached areas with water to remove any residue.
Are there any other safe hantavirus cleanup measures we should consider? I'd appreciate input from any conservators or people who have experience with hantavirus in historic buildings.
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Kathlyn Guttman
Curatorial Specialist
Death Valley National Park
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