Saved baby mouse

Question
Hi Tamarah.

We found 3 baby mice in a wastebasket in our home, they must have fallen in and could not climb out.  We brought them to the park to let them go, and one would not leave.  He was shaking and terrified, and we didn't want to leave him alone.  So we have him here in his new mouse habitat, he is eating and drinking.  He looks like a deer mouse, very very tiny and grey in color.  Now, what are the hanta virus risks?   Would we be crazy to keep him?  If he was born somewhere under our enclosed porch as I suspect and never spent any time outside, could he have been born with hantavirus?  I would hate to keep him and expose our family to anything, but if no risk in possible, we are happy to take care of him, even until he is a bit older and larger.  He is very happy running around that habitrail!

Any advice would be treasured!
Elizabeth Russell

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

Hantavirus could still be a risk, and can be contracted by breathing in aerosolized waste, such as while changing the bedding, or bites.  Since the mom would have been around for the first 2-3 weeks of their lives, it's entirely possible it could have spread to the pups despite their limited exposure.  The only way to be sure he doesn't have it is to find a lab that tests for it and send in a sample.  Cost might vary, so make a few phone calls and shop around.  Local pocket pet vets may be able to point you in the right direction.  I wish I could tell you not to worry about it, but hantavirus can be lethal, so it's something you can't be too careful about.  Here are the CDC's statistics on HPS (the disease resulting from hantavirus infection):  http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/caseinfo.htm  You can follow links around that site to learn more about it, as well.

If you can't afford testing him or just want to keep him a little while - be careful to wear a mask when changing the cage, take the bedding straight outside, wash your hands after handling him, and keep the cage as clean as possible.  Wild mice can sometimes be difficult to tame, even if you've had him since he was this small, so be on guard for aggressive body language as well so that nobody gets nipped.  I'm really not trying to make it seem horribly likely, and your chances mostly depend on your location, but with deer mice the risk is definitely there.

Best of luck, and in the meantime congratulations on your new mouse!
-Tam