Hantaviruses are transmitted to humans from the dried droppings, urine, or saliva of mice and rats. The disease begins as a flu-like illness characterized by fever, chills, and muscle aches, but it can rapidly progress to a life-threatening condition marked by respiratory failure as the lungs fill with fluid. Animal laboratory workers and persons working in infested buildings are at increased risk to this disease, particularly during dusty clean-up activities.

There are currently no specific OSHA standards for Hantavirus.

OSHA Standards

This section highlights standards, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to Hantavirus in the workplace.

Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart H, Hazardous materials [related topic page]
  • 1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response [related topic page]
    
  
  
• 1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment
  • 1910.132, General requirements [related topic page]
    
  
  
• 1910 Subpart J, General environmental controls
  • 1910.141, Sanitation
    • 1910.141(a)(5), Vermin control
  • 1910.142, Temporary labor camps
    • 1910.142(j), Insect and rodent control

Preambles to Final Rules

• Hazardous waste operations and emergency response (1989)
  • Intro to 29 CFR Part 1910, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response
  • I. Background
  • II. Summary and explanation of the standard
  • VII. State plan states
  • VIII. Federal and state coverage of the public sector and volunteers
    
  
  
• Search all available preambles to final rules.

Directives

• Inspection Procedures for 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1926.65, Paragraph (q): Emergency Response to Hazardous Substance Releases. CPL 02-02-073, (2007, August 27). Also available as a 444 KB PDF, 119 pages. Updates enforcement procedures for compliance officers who need to conduct inspections of emergency response operations. It defines additional terms and expands on training requirements for emergency responders and other groups such as skilled support personnel. This OSHA instruction revises CPL 02-02-059, issued April 24, 1998.
  


• Search all available directives.

What is Hantavirus?

Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry Hantavirus is at risk of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus. The following references aid in recognizing disease characteristics and hazards associated with Hantavirus.

• Hantavirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Covers a variety of topics and links to references related to Hantavirus. Links include information about how Hantavirus is spread, rodent carriers, symptoms, prevention, and presentation material.
  


• Reported Cases of HPS: HPS in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  


• Hantavirus. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), (1997, November 18). Provides answers to basic questions about Hantavirus, including occupations associated with elevated risk.
  


• Simons, J., and L. Riley. "Hantaviruses: An Overview." Comparative Medicine 52.2(2002): 97-110. Covers associated diseases and their pathogenesis, as well as the biology and ecology of Hantavirus alone and when associated with rodent hosts.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The following references provide information about the diagnosis and treatment of Hantavirus.

• HPS Technical/Clinical Information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Covers a variety of topics and links to references related to Hantavirus such as its clinical manifestation, treatment, diagnostics, and epidemiology.
  


• Schmaljohn, C. and B. Hjelle. "Hantaviruses: A Global Disease Problem." Emerging Infectious Diseases, 3.2(1997). Provides a listing of Hantavirus species, descriptions of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), the ecology and epidemiology of Hantavirus infections, and information about the genetic diversity and evolution of Hantaviruses.
  


• Khan, A., and J. Young. "Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: At the Crossroads." Current Opinion in Infectious Disease 14.2(2001): 205-9. Provides a review of various aspects of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, including pathogenesis, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.

Control and Prevention

The following references provide safety and health information to aid in the prevention and control of Hantavirus hazards.

• Preventing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Provides cleanup information for the prevention of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
  
  
• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome -- United States: Updated Recommendations for Risk Reduction. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 51(RR09);1-12, (2002, July 26). Provides updated recommendations for prevention and control of Hantavirus infections associated with rodents in the United States.
  


• Education Materials and Media. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Provides an educational video that teaches how to prevent infection with Hantavirus.
  
  
• Laboratory Management of Agents Associated with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: Interim Biosafety Guidelines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 43(RR-7);1-7, (1994, May 13). Provides interim biosafety guidelines for preventing laboratory-associated infections with agents that cause Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
  


• Rodent Exclusion Manual [2 MB PDF, 79 pages]. National Park Service (NPS), (2005). Provides a training guide for NPS employees offering information on rodent biology and ecology, and methods for building inspection and rodent exclusion.
  
  
• For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Ventilation

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

• Emergency Preparedness and Response

Training

• Education Materials and Media. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Provides links to brochures, manuals, podcasts, videos and Post-it cards.

Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management at (202) 693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.