Argentina 101: What is hantavirus and how do you prevent it

[FrankPintor]

The virus is transmitted by MICE, not rats. Small, long-tailed country mice - body smaller than a thumb.

You are so welcome to explain the difference between rats and mice in Spanish

 

[on the brink]

You are so welcome to explain the difference between rats and mice in Spanish

Las ratas son grandes como gatos de seis meses, los ratones son del tamaño de un dedo pulgar de mujer.

He visto cantidades de ambos - ratas principalmente en ciudades, y ratones mayormente en zonas agrestes.

 

[Paige55]

Las ratas son grandes como gatos de seis meses, los ratones son del tamaño de un dedo pulgar de mujer.

He visto cantidades de ambos - ratas principalmente en ciudades, y ratones mayormente en zonas agrestes.

To be fair, the rodent which carries the Andes virus is called a pygmy rice RAT (not mouse).

"There are, however, some things scientists do know about the long-tailed pygmy rice rat, or Oligoryzomys longicaudatus. It’s much smaller than the rats you might see scurrying around the streets of, say, New York City: Its body is often a little more than the size of a AAA battery, Escobar says, although they can be bigger. The species is also an “ecological generalist,” meaning it can thrive in both forests and grasslands and can even live near houses in rural areas. “It shows tolerance to different habitats,” he says."

Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/...er-of-theories-about-the-hantavirus-outbreak/

 

[on the brink]

Thanks, Paige 55. Didn't know that. In Uruguay, hantavirus is spread by country mice - got some of them running across my bedroom after storing firewood in the galeria. We moved the woodpile away from the house, and the intruders vanished.

What is the technical difference between mice and rats? And frogs and toads? I thought it was a matter of size, but it probably isn't.

 

[Paige55]

Thanks, Paige 55. Didn't know that. In Uruguay, hantavirus is spread by country mice - got some of them running across my bedroom after storing firewood in the galeria. We moved the woodpile away from the house, and the intruders vanished.

What is the technical difference between mice and rats? And frogs and toads? I thought it was a matter of size, but it probably isn't.

Mice and rats, I think of them like cousins. And, for small pygmy rats in passing...it might be hard to tell the difference. Their nose area and ears are usually distinct. So many different species of rodents to contend with but usually, yes, typical rats we're used to are larger/heavier. Just can't forget there are tiny rats, too. Those are the type that carry hantavirus. Suppose they look enough like mice you'd be weary of them anyhow and avoid them. They are family, after all, and carry many similar features.

 

[FrankPintor]

My understanding, helped by searching a bit just now, is that rats and mice are different species. Both are rodents, but have different characteristics (rats are larger than mice) and behaviours (rats are more sociable).

Spanish has caused endless confusion by using the word "rata" for "mouse", and "ratón", which would imply a big mouse for "rat". The confusion is only exacerbated by Speedy Gonzales, "the fastest mouse in all of Mexico", while in Spanish he's "El ratón más veloz de todo México".

The species carrying the Andes version of the Hantavirus is a "ratón colilargo", or a long-tailed rat.

 

[Rich One]

Something that was widely known in Chile was that, a major the source of transmission of the Hantavirus, was drinking out of unwashed soda tin cans (biers, sodas) that had been stored in dark warehouses, where rats circulated freely over cans. People rarely wash soda cans?

 

[Paige55]

Something that was widely known in Chile was that, a major the source of transmission of the Hantavirus, was drinking out of unwashed soda tin cans (biers, sodas) that had been stored in dark warehouses, where rats circulated freely over cans. People rarely wash soda cans?

I remember clear as day my grandmother (in the U.S.) would wipe down each soda can with a soapy sponge then dry it before opening it. She'd then pour it into a glass for us to drink. We weren't allowed to drink straight from the can. I notice here in Buenos Aires, a lot of kiosks used to give straws to anyone who bought a can/bottle to drink. I still wipe the tops of any cans I get, to this day and some other packaging I suspect could have been housed in unsanitary conditions. As these diseases show up in broader populations, guess it's always good to brush up on hygiene measures.

I'd also like to bring back the ol' habit of covering up our mouths while coughing/sneezing. The number of sick folks I see looking like death, walking around like zombies as they heartily wet-cough AT everyone in their periphery is astounding. Especially on public transportation and airplanes. Que asco!

 

[Rich One]

I remember clear as day my grandmother (in the U.S.) would wipe down each soda can with a soapy sponge then dry it before opening it. She'd then pour it into a glass for us to drink. We weren't allowed to drink straight from the can. I notice here in Buenos Aires, a lot of kiosks used to give straws to anyone who bought a can/bottle to drink. I still wipe the tops of any cans I get, to this day and some other packaging I suspect could have been housed in unsanitary conditions. As these diseases show up in broader populations, guess it's always good to brush up on hygiene measures.

I'd also like to bring back the ol' habit of covering up our mouths while coughing/sneezing. The number of sick folks I see looking like death, walking around like zombies as they heartily wet-cough AT everyone in their periphery is astounding. Especially on public transportation and airplanes. Que asco!

I see young guys, at the Chino, buy a dozen bier cans to drink while watching a soccer game. I'm willing to bet a dollar they won't wipe down the cans. (just saying).

 

[FrankPintor]

Something that was widely known in Chile was that, a major the source of transmission of the Hantavirus, was drinking out of unwashed soda tin cans (biers, sodas) that had been stored in dark warehouses, where rats circulated freely over cans. People rarely wash soda cans?

I don’t remember it being a thing in Chile, but around the Caribbean I was encouraged to wash off my beer cans before drinking. I don’t know if rodents like fizzy drinks, but they sure like beer. And they carry more pathogens than just hantavirus.