Thanks to research from the UNAM and the Hokkaido University In Japan, you can learn a lot more about the hantavirus in Mexicoabout the animals that carry it and the states where they are located, mostly.

In the Mexican Republic there are 235 species of rodents, and only a small fraction is infected with hantavirus and scientists have been tracking it for years.

States of Mexico where hantaviruses have been found

The first discovery of a rodent with hantavirus It happened in 2004 in Gold Beach, Colimawhere the so-called “Hantavirus Gold”. Years later, investigations moved towards the center and south, detecting the Huitzilac Virus in Morelos and viruses Montano and Carrizal in the mountainous areas of Guerrero.

These viruses are not in the air of cities, but in specific ecological niches of the Mexican countryside.

What species can infect you with hantavirus in Mexico?

It is important to clarify that it is not about the common rat that you can find in the sewers or in certain areas. The carriers belong to a family called Cricetidae. Among them, the deer mouse stands out (Peromyscus maniculatus), famous throughout America, and other species with curious names such as the Aztec mouse or the volcano mouse.

These animals are “reservoirs”, which means that they carry the virus throughout their lives without presenting symptoms; They are simply your natural carriers in nature.

Human antibodies against hantavirus found

A fascinating fact from the research is that in Yucatan people with antibodies to hantavirus. What does this mean? That at some point in their lives they were in contact with the pathogen, but their immune system defeated it without them even realizing it or presenting a serious illness. This shows that the virus circulates in the environment silently and, fortunately, does not always lead to complications.

How does hantavirus move in Mexico?

The risk of contact increases mainly due to our activities. By cutting down forests, building in virgin areas or due to the effects of climate change, the habitats of these mice change. When forced to migrate, they come into contact with other species or move closer to human settlements.

He virus is transmitted mainly when we breathe dust contaminated with remains of their urine or excrement in closed places, such as warehouses or cabins that have been abandoned for a long time.

What to do to be prevented from hantavirus?

If you are going to clean a place that has been closed and where you suspect there were mice, do not sweep dry. The ideal is to wet the floor with water and chlorine so that the dust does not fly.

Mexican science, together with institutes such as the INER, continues to analyze cases of atypical pneumonia to rule out that this virus is going unnoticed.