How dangerous are mouse droppings during pregnancy?

[Koalamom]

I am in the middle of a move, and our new apartment had some water damage, and isn't going to be ready to move into for another week. The landlord says he is going to pay for us to stay in a hotel till it is ready, but just in case that doesn't work out, my parents are open to us staying at their place too. They are in the middle of construction of an off grid house with no running water. I can handle that, but their house is infested with mice. They have to clean all the plywood counters every morning and wipe the dropping from dishes everyday. That totally grosses me out. I am 6 weeks pregnant, and wonder how safe that is for my unborn baby? I mentioned this to my mother, and she says I am overreacting. Is this something to be concerned about?

[boscopup]

A google search brought up this article. Personally, I wouldn't want to be in the conditions that you describe, whether pregnant or not!!! We occasionally get mice here, and I had some mouse droppings on the boxes of Christmas stuff that I got out of the attic, but I'm diligent about handwashing after touching anything that might have been around mouse droppings. And we take care of mouse problems as soon as we realize we have them (we're on 10 acres, so we're going to get mice on occasion).

[Turquesa]

I second staying away.

There's also hantavirus to consider. I wouldn't mess with that disease . . . pregnant or not. You can breathe it in through air particles coming from droppings and urine, usually from the brown and white deer mice. My uncle had it and actually survived; the death rate exceeds 50% even with diagnosis and treatment.

Read up on precautions about cleaning such spaces and preventing hantavirus.

Sorry--I hope this doesn't sound like senseless fear-mongering. But like I said, I don't mess with this risk.

[j_p_i]

I definitely wouldn't risk it, hantavirus is pretty scary stuff. Here's an article on it: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/

As a PP mentioned, hantavirus is communicable through breathing or just being around droppings, and can be deadly.

I hope things work out for you to stay in the hotel, it sounds like your landlord is going to take care of your family though! Good luck.

[TzippityDoulah]

it there precautions they can take the help with the mice issues? i lived in an old farm house and mice every day were a reality. HOWEVER, they were not crawling all around the counters all night and pooping unless food was left out. or crumbs or what not. if you don't feed them, they don't stick around so much.

what is causing the infestation you describe? it seems pretty massive. and believe me, I'm not shy about mice... it just seems like that is an aweful lot of mice crawling around.

[iowaorganic]

I think you should stay away... We have had to deal with mice a time or two and I leave and stay away until they are gone. DH hires a cleaning lady to sanitize everything including the vacuum cleaner while he gets rid of those little suckers.

Hanta virus isn't something to mess with.

Plus- that just sounds gross.

[Koalamom]

Staying away until the mouse problem is dealt with would mean staying away for a really long time. My parents sold their beautiful home, and bought 75 acres in the middle of no where, and lived in a trailer all summer while they built the shell of a house they have now. It has holes and cracks all over and is just plywood with insulation. They have been dealing with the mice for many months and they say they are used to cleaning up the droppings all over every morning. Kind of a yucky lifestyle if you ask me. I do love the idea of off grid in a solar home, but they are far from it being complete. They only get about 1-4 mice in traps a night, and refuse to get a cat!

I am going to push really hard for the hotel. Thanks for all the responses! I didn't realize that mice were that serious even when not pregnant.

[Peony]

Yuck. 1-4 mice a day is a lot of those little creatures. Mice in country living is a way of life but precautions still need to be taken. My old neighbor died from hantavirus so I am very careful with mice. We've had a few get in this winter and we throughly disinfect the house after.

[TzippityDoulah]

yeah ummm.. get a cat! and plug some of those holes. mice will be something you will always have to deal with in the country... but 1-4 mice a night!? are the in some kinda mouse nest! good grief! if you said 1-4 a week I wouldn't even flinch... but a night??? yikes!

[HarperRose]

Wow. You guys have scared the crap out of me. My il's live on 5 acres outside their town and they have mice BAD. We hear them in the walls constantly. I saw one in the trash can one night just last week.

Mil was a hoarder. She died recently and I've unofficially been in charge of cleaning up.

The mouse problem is horrifying. I am not kidding when I tell you these things:

1) mouse droppings on surfaces above the floor (counters, hutch, shelves, clothes hanging in closet)
2) over a weekend visit during summer, mil caught a mouse on that weird paper gluey stuff on the KITCHEN COUNTER
3) holes in boxes & bags
4) droppings in boxes, bags, containers, plastic sandwich bags in the pantry
5) nests in boxes, bags, containers (empty nests when we went through them)
6) large holes in floorboards (1970 trailer)
7) holes in ceilings
8) droppings on pantry shelves
9) FRESH droppings one morning in the bathroom (I picked something up and touched it)

My baby is 14 mos old. He came to me on more than one occasion w/ mouse crap on his hand. :

I have lived in the country. I have no problem accepting mice.

I have a BIG problem when the mice are outnumbering the ppl and when the 47 cats outside aren't killing off MORE mice. (Realistically, about 10 cats, most sickly in some way.)

I am going to talk to fil about an exterminator. At least that might make a dent in the amount of mice that are obviously co-existing in the place.

[AmieV]

That is BEYOND disgusting. If they're catching 1-4 mice a night, that means they have dozens. we recently had a mouse problem in my house and we never ever caught or saw one, but had droppings. The exterminator told me that for every one you see, there's 20 more.

Hantavirus is only a concern in certain locations and it wasn't an issue in my area, but I still made DH clean up all the droppings. I wasn't worried about it majorly but it was still completely gross and I didn't sleep well until we got it under control. There is no way in HELL I would stay anywhere with conditions as you describe, that's just plain filthy. Until they get everything plugged up and trap/kill whatever population is left, the problem is only going to get worse. Honestly they probably have a nest indoors somewhere.

Yikes your post just gave me the serious heebie jeebies. Hotel for sure!!

[Koalamom]

Thanks for all the responces.
We ended up staying at a hotel for almost a week. I am so gad we did that and didnt stay at the mouse house. I tried talking to my parents about the danger of mice, and they blew me off. Oh well. What can I do. I am just nervous about visiting them. They are about an hour away. Ugg.

I am just happy that I am now in an apartment that is mouse free.

Justthatgirl, that is crazy that you have a bad nouse problem even with many cats.