Sun, Feb 01, 2026 page1

• CDC warns of increased hantavirus risk in spring

  ‘THREE NOES’: People must make sure holes smaller than 2cm are sealed, spaces are kept clean and uncluttered, and food is safely stored in containers to avoid rodents

  • By Chiu Chih-jou, Huang Yi-ching and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters
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  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday warned of a higher risk of hantavirus infection this spring, after Taiwan’s first hantavirus-related death in 26 years was confirmed in Taipei.

  The person who died was a man in his 70s, a resident of Daan District (大安), the CDC said.

  The man was hospitalized after showing symptoms including fever, gastrointestinal discomfort and shortness of breath, it said, adding that he passed away on Jan. 13, eight days after he became ill, from sepsis complicated by multiple organ failure and pneumonia.

  

  A Taipei City Government worker on Friday sprays disinfectant to stem the spread of hantavirus.

  Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of Health

  Agency data showed that as of yesterday, there had been 44 hantavirus cases since 2017, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said.

  The disease is primarily spread by rodents.

  Cases were most prevalent in January in each of those years — eight in the month since 2017 — Lin said, adding that figures for March to May were also above average.

  Of the 44 cases, 29 were men and 15 were women, while 32 were aged 30 to 59, or nearly 75 percent, he said.

  Mice reproduce throughout the year, but populations tend to be larger in spring, he said.

  Hantavirus infection is highly correlated to exposure at workplaces, Lin said.

  For example, many of the people diagnosed with the disease worked at traditional markets or in related businesses, which increases the chances of being exposed to rodents, Lin said.

  Moreover, mice are a key vector of hantaviruses and have become highly adapted to densely populated urban environments, he said.

  Vector control measures and personal protection are important to prevent hantavirus infection, he said.

  People must wear a mask when they engage in spring cleaning — indoors and outdoors — which is a typical activity around the Lunar New Year holiday, to protect themselves from inhaling air carrying the pathogen, he said.

  If rodent droppings or urine are found, bleach should be applied to the area before they are removed, Lin said, adding that people should wait 30 minutes after applying the bleach before cleaning to give the disinfectant enough time to take full effect.

  Cleaning tools, such as rags, mops, brooms and brushes, must be disinfected before being used again after they are exposed to rodent droppings, he said.

  People should follow the “three noes” principle of “no food, no habitat, no entry” for rodents in homes, Lin said.

  Sewer rats, roof rats and house mice are the most common rat and mouse species in Taiwan, National Taiwan University Department of Entomology professor emeritus Hsu Err-lieh (徐爾烈) said.

  Despite their poor vision, rodents have extremely sensitive senses of smell, hearing and touch, and are excellent learners and burrowers, Hsu said.

  Rats can use holes with a diameter of 2cm — about the size of a NT$10 coin — while house mice can use even smaller holes, he said.

  Holes, cracks and ventilation ducts must be sealed or blocked if they are wider than 2cm to ensure there is no entry point for rodents, he said, adding that food should be kept in sealed glass or metal containers.

  Storage spaces should be kept clean and uncluttered to help avoid rat infestations, he added.

  Physical controls are preferred to chemical controls when dealing with rodents at home, Hsu said.

  Chemical measures should be the last resort and must be kept out of reach of pets and children, he said.

  Dead rodents should be wrapped in two trash bags and clearly labeled so trash collection personnel can identify the contents, the Ministry of the Environment said.

  Additional reporting by CNA
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