posted
I just found out this morning that I have a 'mouse house' in my car. I found out because whenever I use the air conditioning and to some extent the defroster I get a horrible smell. The mechanic told me I have a house full of mice - some alive some dead in there. God knows how long it's been there. I am freaked because I'm wondering how this relates - if at all- to my Lyme disease. I've been breathing it for god knows how long. Any thoughts???
Posts: 90 | From massachusetts | Registered: Aug 2006
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Okay...this is a stretch, but I wondered if any of you had heard this from a while back.
About 10 years ago, there were a lot of people living in the four corners region who were getting the flu and dying in a couple of days.
We traveled through that area on the way back from Oklahoma, and spent the night in our van in a KOA camp in Gallup (icky, but we couldn't drive another mile).
My husband woke up sick, and a few days later, I ended up in the hospital with double viral pneumonia...near death.
There was a virus up in those parts called Hantavirus. They had no idea what caused it. Luckily, we didn't get it. Evidently, we lived, that was the clue.
It turned out that the Navajos in that area gather nuts from nests of prairie dogs,etc. These prairie dogs carried the virus, and the nuts were contaminated from their feces.
Guess they took care of that problem by making the Navajos buy their nuts at the Circle K, instead of digging around holes in the desert.
But, who knows if those mice have fleas that were inside your car. I am thinking many things are vectors..fleas, mosquitoes, ticks, lice.
My long story. Kelly
Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
Yuck!! Hope you can get them cleared out!! That happened to my father-in-law too. Stunk to high heaven!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Just wanted to add that I lived in the Four Corners when the Hauntavirus outbreak occurred, and sadly, knew a few of its victims.
The virus is airbourne from the feces or urine of mice...so, please be very cautious in this vehicle. And please warn whoever ends up cleaning this mouse nest to read up about Hauntavirus.
A mask should always be worn at anytime when cleaning up after mice, and the cleaning should never be done "dry"...in other words...the feces and other nesting materials, should be soaked down with a solution of bleach and water, PRIOR to cleaning, to reduce the possiblility of airborne viruses.
Sorry about the mice problems, but education is key.
Melanie
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Wow, Melanie, that's excellent!
Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
"Hantavirus" for those who are researching.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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trueblue
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7348
posted
quote:Originally posted by cave76:
If a person has mice in the house (and we mostly do) then the potential for at least some of those mice carrying an infected tick is pretty good.
I'd worry most about the ticks, myself.
My last exposure before getting really sick was numerous flea bites from white footed mice that were infesting a house I was staying in. (Although I did wake up one morning and found a perfect ring of flea bites; so who knows?)
I'd worry about getting them out, most of all, and take Melanie's advice.
I know that smell and hope you can get rid of them soon. Sorry, yuck.
-------------------- more light, more love more truth and more innovation Posts: 3783 | From somewhere other than here | Registered: May 2005
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trails
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1620
posted
yes careful clean up with EPA approved masks..not the ones you can buy cheaply. The ones that cost about 30 bucks each.
We had to clean out a HUGE barn/garage in New Mexico that got infested with rats. But before we KNEW they were rats, we had to clean it believing they were hantavirus carrying mice.
Hantavirus has effected other parts of the US and southern NM had a few cases.
And yes--the white footed mouse is a resivour for lyme.
please use caution.
Posts: 1950 | From New Mexico | Registered: Sep 2001
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
sorry about the spelling error...thanks for fixing me up Miss Toots
just don
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Member # 1129
posted
Just being around mice and where you can smell mice is quite awful for me. My allergies kick into high gear then.
I was in a sturcture once for a solid week ten day period.(doing a project) EVERY day I got worse than the last. I said this place is making me SICK. Every day after it was over and I wasnt in there I got better. So for darn sure that was the case!! The stench of mice and rats was VERY thick in there!!
Most sheds around here have lots of mice dander in them., I dont 'allow' a mouse in the house a second day after being seen. I am the relentless mouse trapper!! I have known people who prefer to live WITH them, than to rid of them!! YUCK!!!
In my opinion mice were made for the purpose of being a cat snack!!! And rats ten times over cause their ten times as big.me b --just don--
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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I have the same problem with my car. The mechanics took out the mice nest, sprayed the car numerous times but the smell won't go away. The can't seem to find where the mice are. I don't know what to do, who to call for help.
Do you know a place who can help me. I live in RI next to you.
Lyme4
Posts: 60 | From RI | Registered: Dec 2006
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