About RodentHealthRisk.com

Who We Are

RodentHealthRisk.com is an independent health information research site focused on rodent-borne disease risk — primarily hantavirus — in the United States. We are not medical professionals, physicians, or licensed pest control technicians.

This site was built out of a specific frustration: when someone finds mouse droppings in their attic or opens a cabin for the first time after winter, the information they need is scattered across CDC clinical pages, academic journals, and MMWR case reports — none of which are written for people standing in their garage at 8am trying to figure out what to do next.

Our research process is grounded in primary sources: CDC surveillance data, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) documenting confirmed HPS cases, WHO disease fact sheets, and peer-reviewed public health literature. We read the underlying documents, not summaries of summaries.

Our content is reviewed for factual accuracy against CDC guidelines and peer-reviewed public health literature. We consult with pest management professionals when specific technical questions arise.

Why This Site Exists

The CDC publishes authoritative guidance on hantavirus and rodent cleanup — but that guidance is written for clinicians and public health officials. A homeowner standing in their attic with rubber gloves doesn't need clinical language. They need to know which bleach ratio to mix, which respirator to buy, and what to do with the paper towels afterwards.

RodentHealthRisk.com exists to close that gap. We take primary source guidance and translate it into step-by-step, situation-specific content for real scenarios.

How We Work

Every article on this site follows the same process:

1. Primary source first. We start with the CDC, WHO, or NIH publication directly relevant to the topic — not secondary sources or other health websites. For state-specific articles, we review state health department surveillance reports alongside CDC national data.
2. MMWR case review. Where CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports document confirmed HPS exposure cases, we read the original investigation reports. This grounds our practical guidance in how actual exposures happened — not just theoretical transmission routes.
3. Claim verification. Every factual claim is checked against the primary source before publication. We do not publish claims that can't be verified against official guidance.
4. Scope boundaries. We flag clearly when a situation requires a doctor or professional remediation service. This site does not replace either.
5. Dating and updates. Each article carries a "Last updated" date. Articles are reviewed and updated when official guidance changes.
6. Corrections. If we publish inaccurate information, we correct it promptly. Found an error? Contact us.

See our full Editorial Policy for detailed review standards. For definitions of key terms used across our articles, see the Hantavirus Glossary.

What We Cover

• Hantavirus transmission, prevention, and risk factors
• Safe cleanup of mouse droppings, urine, and nesting material
• Rodent exposure risks in garages, attics, cabins, and RVs
• Rodent identification guides for common U.S. species
• When and why to hire a professional remediation service
• State-by-state hantavirus risk and case data

Our Primary Sources

• CDC — Hantavirus: Prevention & Control

  Clinical guidance, surveillance data, cleanup protocols

• CDC — Cleaning Up After Rodents

  Official disinfection and cleanup protocol

• WHO — Hantavirus Disease Fact Sheet

  Global disease burden and transmission data

• CDC — Rodent Control

  Species identification and rodent control guidance

• CDC MMWR — Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

  Peer-reviewed case investigation reports for confirmed HPS cases

• CDC — HPS Surveillance Data

  Annual case counts, state distributions, and fatality rate statistics