San Diego County public health employees collected two mice from trails around San Onofre State Beach that tested positive for hantavirus, it was announced Monday.
The county's vector control team is alerting people who work at or have visited the campground recently.
Finding hantavirus in wild rodents is not uncommon in San Diego County, according to the County Environmental Health and Quality Department. The two mice picked up at San Onofre are the 19th and 20th cases found in mice in the county this year.
There were a total of 17 cases in 2023.
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People rarely come into direct contact with infected animals because wild rodents naturally avoid humans, health officials said. While exposure to hantavirus is rare, people should be careful around wild rodents as there is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus, according to health officials.
Symptoms of hantavirus usually develop between one and eight weeks after exposure and include:
- Severe muscle aches
- Chills, fever or fatigue
- Headache or dizziness
- Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain
- Difficulty breathing
If signs of wild rodents such as nests or droppings are found in outbuildings, the county advises using "wet cleaning" methods such as bleach and disinfectant and not to sweep or vacuum, which could bring the virus up into the air to be inhaled.
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If anyone thinks they may have been exposed to hantavirus, they are urged to seek medical attention immediately.
