⚠ Hantavirus Safety Campaign — Four Corners 2026
Hantavirus Is
Endemic Here.
Don't Sweep It Up.
Endemic Here.
Don't Sweep It Up.
Sin Nombre virus has a 38% case fatality rate. It's carried by the deer mouse — common in attics, sheds, cabins, and storage across the Four Corners. Disturbing dry droppings can be lethal. Here's what you need to know.
38%
Case Fatality Rate (HPS)
0
Vaccines / Specific Treatments
940
Sq Ft Historic Structure Cleaned (USDA)
94
Biohazard Bags / Residential Job
The Four Corners region — including Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec, the Navajo Nation, and surrounding rural areas — is the geographic origin of recognized hantavirus disease in North America. The 1993 outbreak that identified Sin Nombre virus happened here. The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) population remains high across the region. Every homeowner, rancher, ranch hand, and property manager in this region should know the basic safety rules. DEKON Environmental Services has cleaned hantavirus contamination on federal, residential, and commercial structures across the Four Corners using full CDC protocol — and we want every neighbor to stay safe.
What NOT to Do
Actions That Aerosolize Sin Nombre Virus
- Don't sweep with a broom. Sweeping kicks dry droppings and dust directly into the air you breathe. This is the #1 cause of HPS exposure during cleanup.
- Don't vacuum without HEPA filtration. A standard household vacuum exhausts the virus particles back into the room. Even bagged vacuums are not safe.
- Don't enter without ventilating first. Closed cabins, sheds, and attics that have sat for months concentrate aerosols. Walking in cold means walking into the highest exposure.
- Don't disturb nests or insulation dry. Pulling out contaminated attic insulation or shed bedding without wetting it first releases massive aerosol plumes.
- Don't use a dust mask or surgical mask. They do not stop virus-sized particles. A fitted N95 minimum — P100 is what professionals wear.
- Don't trust "I felt fine after." HPS symptoms can appear 1–8 weeks after exposure. By the time the cough and shortness of breath hit, the disease is often advanced.
What to Do Instead
Safe Steps Before Calling a Specialist
- Open windows and doors. Ventilate the structure for at least 30 minutes from outside before anyone re-enters. Stand upwind.
- Keep children, elderly, and pets away. Mark the area off-limits until professional cleanup is complete.
- Document the extent. Photo from a doorway only. Note rooms, droppings density, nesting locations, smell of urine.
- Seal entry points eventually — but not yet. First clean, then exclude. Trapping is fine, but disturbing nests before cleanup is dangerous.
- Call DEKON: 505-543-8083. Owner answers. 1-hour callback. 4-hour on-site. CDC-trained crew with PAPR, negative air, regulated waste disposal.
Spotlight: Why It Aerosolizes
Relative Aerosol Release by Activity
Dry Sweeping with Broom
EXTREME
Vacuuming (Non-HEPA)
VERY HIGH
Pulling Dry Insulation / Nests
HIGH
Walking on Contaminated Surface
MODERATE
Wet Decontamination First (CDC)
CONTROLLED
Wet decontamination — saturating droppings and nesting material with EPA-registered disinfectant before any handling — is the single intervention that eliminates aerosol release. It is non-negotiable on every DEKON hantavirus job.
DEKON's Hantavirus Cleanup Track Record
Real Projects — Named, Documented, Zero Incidents
Project
Scope
Date
Result
Historic Federal Structure USDA Forest Service contract
940 sq ft 1923 adobe + 442 sq ft pumphouse. Confined-space attic entry. National Register eligible.
✓ Zero Incidents · 17-Section HASP · Technical Report Delivered
Private Residence Four Corners region
Attic insulation removal, crawlspace cleaning, full disinfection. 4-person crew · 121 hours · 94 biohazard bags · 72hr negative air.
✓ On Schedule · Zero Incidents · Manifested Disposal
Commercial Biohazard Four Corners region
Pigeon & bird biohazard decon, man-basket elevated access, EPA-registered disinfectants, galvanized exclusion netting.
✓ EPA-Compliant Disposal · Long-Term Exclusion Installed
DEKON has performed hantavirus and biohazard cleanup on federal, tribal, residential, and commercial structures across the Four Corners. Full project list available on request. See the Hantavirus service page for capability detail and FAQ.
The CDC Cleanup Sequence DEKON Follows
8 Mandatory Steps — No Shortcuts on Any DEKON Job
- Pre-entry ventilation. All doors and windows open for minimum 30 minutes. Personnel remain outside, upwind.
- Don full PPE outside the structure. Full-face APR with P100 cartridges, Tyvek coveralls, double-layer nitrile gloves, rubber overboots. Buddy verification of all seals.
- Wet-down with EPA-registered disinfectant. Saturate all droppings, nesting material, and contaminated surfaces. Minimum 5-minute contact time. No dry sweeping. No dry vacuuming. Ever.
- Remove saturated material. Paper towels or disposable tools only. All material goes directly into 6-mil polyethylene biohazard bags. Double-bag every bag.
- Final surface disinfection. Reapply disinfectant to all previously contaminated and accessible surfaces. Mop heads disposed as contaminated waste.
- HEPA vacuum. Only after wet decontamination is complete. Captures residual debris from cracks and crevices. HEPA filter disposed as contaminated waste.
- Doff PPE and decontaminate personnel. Doffing sequence in warm zone. Disposable PPE into biohazard bag. All personnel wash hands, face, and exposed skin immediately.
- Waste manifesting and disposal. Sealed biohazard bags transported to NM-permitted biological waste treatment facility. Chain-of-custody manifest generated for every shipment.
Know the Signs of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Incubation period: 1 to 8 weeks after exposure. Symptoms do not appear immediately. If you cleaned up rodent droppings improperly, mark your calendar — and tell your doctor if anything below appears.
Early symptoms (first 3–5 days). Fever (often above 101°F), severe muscle aches (especially thighs, hips, back, shoulders), fatigue, headache. Sometimes nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain. Easily mistaken for flu.
Late symptoms (4–10 days in) — MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Coughing, shortness of breath, fluid filling the lungs (pulmonary edema). Once respiratory symptoms appear, HPS is rapidly progressive. Get to an ER immediately and tell them you may have been exposed to rodent droppings.
Survival depends on early intensive care. There is no specific antiviral — but oxygen support, intubation, and ECMO in severe cases can save lives. Mention hantavirus exposure to the ER on arrival. The earlier the team knows, the better the chances.
Suspected Hantavirus Exposure? Call DEKON.
DEKON Environmental Services provides CDC-protocol hantavirus assessment, cleanup, and post-remediation clearance across the Four Corners — residential, commercial, federal, and tribal. HAZWOPER-certified crews. Owner answers the phone. 1-hour callback. 4-hour on-site. Written quote within 24 hours.
40-HR HAZWOPER Certified
CDC Hantavirus Protocol
USDA Forest Service Contract
Navajo Nation ONTC Registered
NM Contractor #417265
EPA ID NMR00032243
DOT #4411852
SAM.gov UEI NARD6L7LPW3 · CAGE 1A8J1
