Quick answer: hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by certain wild rodents. In the United States, most cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) are caused by Sin Nombre virus, carried by the deer mouse. People are usually infected by breathing in tiny particles from rodent urine, droppings or nesting material, often while cleaning closed cabins, sheds or RVs. The CDC advises airing out closed spaces for at least 30 minutes, wearing gloves, soaking droppings with a bleach or disinfectant solution for 5 minutes and wiping them up with paper towels instead of sweeping or vacuuming. At campsites, store food in rodent-proof containers, avoid sleeping near burrows or woodpiles and use a tent with a floor. Seek medical care if fever and muscle aches follow rodent exposure.
Mice in a camp kitchen or droppings in a cabin drawer can seem like a minor nuisance. In most cases they are, but rodents can also carry diseases, and hantavirus is the one campers most need to understand. It is rare, but it can be severe, and the most common ways people get it involve exactly the things campers do: opening up closed cabins, cleaning out sheds and RVs after storage and sleeping close to the ground in rodent habitat.
This guide explains how hantavirus spreads, the symptoms to watch for and the CDC’s step-by-step cleanup method. Rodent safety is one part of a bigger picture covered in our camping safety guide for weather, fire, wildlife and emergencies.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hantavirus pages, including “How to Clean Up After Rodents,” signs and symptoms of HPS and hantavirus case surveillance; CDC plague pages; National Park Service (NPS) public health guidance on hantavirus and plague; state health department guidance from New Mexico, Arizona and California. This article is general information, not medical advice. Checked October 2026.
What Hantavirus Is
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses carried by rodents. Each type tends to be linked with a particular rodent species. In North America, the main concern is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a serious lung disease.
According to the CDC:
- Sin Nombre virus, carried by the deer mouse, causes most HPS cases in the United States.
- Other hantaviruses in the Americas are carried by the white-footed mouse, cotton rat and rice rat.
- In the United States, hantaviruses that cause HPS are not known to spread from person to person.
- Cases have been reported in most states, but most occur in western states, especially rural areas.
HPS was first identified in 1993 after an outbreak in the Four Corners region of the Southwest, and the CDC has tracked cases nationally since then.
How people get infected
The CDC explains that the most common route is breathing in the virus. When fresh rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials are stirred up, tiny droplets and dust containing the virus can get into the air. People can also be infected by:
- Touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their nose or mouth
- Eating food contaminated by rodents
- Being bitten by an infected rodent, which is rare
Who is at risk
Anyone exposed to infected rodents or their droppings is at risk. Activities the CDC links to exposure include opening and cleaning cabins, sheds and outbuildings that have been closed up, cleaning in barns and garages, working in crawl spaces and camping or hiking where rodents live. Deer mice are common in rural and forested areas, including many campgrounds.
Symptoms of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
The CDC says symptoms usually begin 1 to 8 weeks after exposure.
Early symptoms
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Muscle aches, especially in large muscle groups such as the thighs, hips, back and shoulders
- Headaches, dizziness and chills
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain in about half of patients
Late symptoms
Four to 10 days after early symptoms begin, coughing and shortness of breath can develop as the lungs fill with fluid. The CDC reports that HPS can be fatal, with about 38 percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms dying from the disease.
When to get care
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for HPS, but early intensive care can improve the chance of survival. If you develop fever and muscle aches within several weeks of being around rodents or their droppings, see a health care provider promptly and tell them about the exposure. Seek emergency care for shortness of breath.
How to Clean Up Rodent Droppings Safely
The way you clean matters more than anything else. Sweeping or vacuuming droppings can throw virus particles into the air you breathe. The CDC recommends a wet-cleaning method instead.
Before you start
- Air out the space. Open doors and windows and let the cabin, shed or RV ventilate for at least 30 minutes before cleaning. Leave the area while it airs out.
- Put on rubber, latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves.
- Mix a disinfectant. The CDC suggests a bleach solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, or a commercial disinfectant labeled for viruses, following the label’s directions.
Cleaning droppings, urine and nests
- Spray droppings, urine spots and nesting material with the disinfectant until thoroughly soaked.
- Let it soak for 5 minutes, or as long as the product label says.
- Wipe up the material with paper towels and put it in a plastic bag.
- Seal the bag and put it in a covered garbage can or bin that is emptied regularly.
- Clean the rest of the area: mop floors and disinfect countertops, cabinets, drawers and other surfaces.
- Steam clean or shampoo upholstered furniture and carpets if they show signs of rodents.
- Wash bedding and clothing that may be contaminated in hot water with detergent.
- Disinfect gloves before taking them off, then wash your hands with soap and water.
Dead rodents and traps
Spray dead rodents and traps with disinfectant, let them soak, then place them in a plastic bag with any nesting material and seal it before disposal. Snap traps are preferable to glue traps or live traps, which can frighten rodents into urinating and increase exposure risk, according to the CDC.
Heavy infestations
For large infestations, buildings closed for long periods or areas with many nests, the CDC recommends extra precautions, including professional help. Do not attempt a major cleanup in a small, enclosed space without proper ventilation and protection.
Opening Cabins, Shelters and RVs
Many campers use rental cabins, backcountry huts, fire lookouts or their own RV or tent trailer after months of storage. These are exactly the places rodents like to nest.
Cabins and shelters
- Air out cabins before unpacking, especially if they have been closed for a while.
- Look for droppings in drawers, cabinets, under sinks and along walls.
- Report signs of rodents to the campground or park staff rather than cleaning a large mess yourself.
- Keep food in sealed containers, even indoors.
- Do not sleep on bare floors or mattresses with signs of rodents.
The National Park Service posts hantavirus warnings in some parks with backcountry shelters, cabins and historic buildings. Follow posted rules, which may include not sleeping in certain shelters.
RVs, campers and tent trailers
RVs stored over winter often attract mice looking for warmth and food. When you bring an RV out of storage:
- Open doors, windows and roof vents and let it air out for at least 30 minutes.
- Check cabinets, drawers, the area under the sink, storage bays and around the furnace and water heater.
- Use the CDC wet-cleaning method for any droppings or nests.
- Wash bedding and soft items that may have been contaminated.
- Check wiring and hoses for chew damage before using appliances.
To keep rodents out during storage, remove food, seal entry points around plumbing and wiring with appropriate materials and set snap traps. Our guide on how to winterize an RV includes storage tips.
Keeping Rodents Away at Your Campsite
Most hantavirus exposures are linked to enclosed spaces rather than open campsites, but good habits at camp reduce contact with rodents and their droppings.
Food and trash
- Store all food, cookware and scented items in rodent-proof containers, a locked vehicle or campground food lockers.
- Do not leave food out overnight or unattended.
- Clean up crumbs and spills right away.
- Pack out trash or use wildlife-resistant bins.
Our guide on how to store food safely from bears and raccoons covers lockers, canisters and hangs that also keep mice out.
Where to sleep
The CDC advises campers to:
- Avoid pitching tents or placing sleeping bags near rodent droppings, burrows, woodpiles or dense brush where rodents may live.
- Sleep on a cot, pad or tent floor rather than directly on the ground.
- Use tents with floors and keep doors zipped.
- Avoid sleeping in abandoned or rodent-infested cabins and shelters.
When choosing a site, look for signs of rodents as well as other hazards. See our tips on how to choose a safe campsite.
Gear storage at home
Mice can nest in stored tents, sleeping bags and backpacks. Store gear in sealed bins, check it before trips and wash or air items that show signs of rodents. Our guide to caring for and storing camping gear has more storage advice.
Other Rodent-Related Risks for Campers
Plague
Plague still occurs in the rural western United States. The CDC reports an average of about seven human plague cases each year, mostly in northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, southern Colorado, California, southern Oregon and western Nevada. It is spread mainly by the bites of infected fleas that live on rodents such as ground squirrels, prairie dogs and chipmunks. To reduce risk:
- Do not feed or handle wild rodents, and avoid sick or dead animals.
- Use insect repellent that is labeled for fleas.
- Keep pets on a leash, use flea control and do not let them hunt rodents.
- Heed posted warnings and closures for plague activity.
Plague is treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed early, so seek care for sudden fever, chills and swollen, painful lymph nodes after camping in affected areas.
Other diseases
Rodents can also carry bacteria such as Leptospira and Salmonella. Washing hands before eating, keeping food sealed and avoiding contact with rodent droppings reduces these risks too.
Camping abroad
Hantaviruses exist on other continents too, and they do not all behave the same way. The CDC notes that in parts of South America, Andes virus can cause HPS and has spread between people in rare cases, mainly in Argentina and Chile. In Europe and Asia, other hantaviruses cause a different illness called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which mainly affects the kidneys. The same prevention steps apply wherever you camp: avoid rodent droppings and nests, air out closed buildings, wet-clean instead of sweeping and keep food sealed.
Hantavirus Myths and Facts
| Myth | Fact, based on CDC guidance |
|---|---|
| Sweeping is fine if you do it quickly | Sweeping and vacuuming can put virus particles into the air; wet cleaning is recommended |
| Only old droppings are dangerous | Fresh urine, droppings and nests pose the main risk |
| Hantavirus only exists in the desert Southwest | Cases have been reported in most states, though most occur in the West |
| You can catch it from another camper | Hantaviruses that cause HPS in the U.S. are not known to spread person to person |
| A dust mask over your face makes sweeping safe | Avoid stirring up dust at all; ventilate, soak and wipe instead |
Hantavirus Safety Summary
Hantavirus is rare but serious. In the United States, most cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome come from Sin Nombre virus carried by deer mice, and people are usually infected by breathing in particles from rodent urine, droppings or nests. When opening cabins, sheds or RVs, air them out for at least 30 minutes, wear gloves and soak droppings with a 1-to-10 bleach solution or a labeled disinfectant for 5 minutes before wiping them up. Never sweep or vacuum droppings. At camp, store food in rodent-proof containers, avoid sleeping near burrows or woodpiles and use a tent with a floor. See a health care provider if you develop fever and muscle aches within several weeks of rodent exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get hantavirus from camping?
It is possible but rare. Most exposures happen when people clean or stay in closed cabins, sheds and other buildings with rodent droppings, rather than at open campsites.
How do you clean mouse droppings safely?
The CDC recommends airing out the space for 30 minutes, wearing gloves, spraying droppings with a 1-to-10 bleach solution or a labeled disinfectant, letting it soak for 5 minutes and wiping it up with paper towels. Do not sweep or vacuum.
What are the first symptoms of hantavirus?
Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, often with headache, dizziness, chills or stomach upset. Coughing and shortness of breath can follow several days later.
Is hantavirus contagious between people?
In the United States, the hantaviruses that cause HPS are not known to spread from person to person.
How can I keep mice out of my tent?
Keep all food and scented items out of the tent, store them in rodent-proof containers, zip doors closed and avoid camping near burrows, woodpiles and dense brush.
