Cute, huh? Those big brown eyes, little paws, and long
whiskers. Seems a shame that something so tiny and cute could carry a disease
like the hantavirus. 
Hantaviruses are a relatively new discovery. (Read the history
here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hantavirus
.) The most recent outbreak in the United States
occurred this summer in four people who had stayed in Yosemite National Park
between June and August.
The disease is rare, but humans can be infected with
hantaviruses through rodent bites, urine, saliva, or contact with rodent waste
products—often inhaled when waste-laden dust is disturbed. Two of the known culprits
who carry the disease are the cute little guys pictured—the white-footed mouse (left) and the deer mouse (right).
So. . .maybe people who jump on tables to avoid mice have
the right idea.
Read more about the recent outbreak at these two links:
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