"Cheryl" > wrote in
:

> Can this be transmitted by pet mice anywhere in the US? I
> don't see any evidence of fleas in my pet mice but I've
> only had them since March. They groom themselves a lot (2
> females) and seem itchy, but I pick them up often and
> haven't found any fleas or mites on them.

are your mice from NM? or do you have wild mice from the
southwest living in your house as well?
hanta virus & plague can only be transmitted to humans by
fleas which have bitten infected animals (oh, hanta can also
be transmitted by breathing the dust raised when sweeping out
infected mouse droppings from a garage or whatever too).
if you've had the mice since March, any fleas would be not
only evident, but overrunning your house by now. one single
flea can become thousands of fleas in less than 2 months.
mice groom themselves a lot, so the 'seem itchy' may be
normal grooming behavior. if they are actually scratching
themselves a lot (with hind feet) i'd have them checked by a
vet. are you feeding them a varied diet or relying on those
nasty lab cubes?
lee
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