05/12/2026
HANTAVIRUS!!!!! It is all over the TV News, on the radio, in the Newspapers, and in conversations all over the world. Illinois has had seven confirmed cases of hantavirus since 1993, with the most recent previous case occurring in March 2025, until the case just confirmed in Winnebago County. The main cause of hantavirus in humans is inhaling the virus, which becomes airborne from the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents. The primary culprits are deer mice in North America, with transmission often occurring when cleaning, occupying, or disturbing enclosed, rodent-infested spaces.
Due to all the news on hantavirus, many people are putting out poisons to try to rid their property of mice. This is a real danger for your pets. If you must put out poisons, please make sure they are in pet safe poison containers, in places pets cannot reach, and are checked frequently to make sure it is not moved. Also, check for dead mice in buildings and on the ground that pets may find and eat. These can be very harmful, even deadly to pets.
Be sure to take care of you and your pets!!!!
