[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: mouse droppings



I have been told by our state health officer that after two weeks,
droppings are no longer infective, as long as you don't keep getting more
mice depositing more mousey-doo.  The ideal, if it were possible, would be
to swab everything with a 3% solution of chlorox.  Obviously, you can't do
that with archival materials.

Incidentally, it's not just the Four Corners area that harbors
hanatvirus.  Vermont had its first cases recently.

Sylvia Bugbee
Assistant Archivist
University of Vermont

On Thu, 25 May 2000, Nancy Freeman wrote:

> All,
>
> I need wisdom from the list.  My organization has an off site warehouse that
> stores, among many other things, boxes of excess unpublished material that
> belongs in the archives.  In my quest for organization, I've been going to the
> warehouse and bringing boxes to the archives to go through.   Many of the
> materials are duplicates and I recycle the extras.  All the boxes, and many of
> the records, are quite dusty with the occasional bug carcass thrown in.  I
> opened a box today and after putting all the booklets on a table (one outside
> the archive), I discovered quite a few mouse droppings in the bottom of the box,
> and even a few clinging to the books.  If I didn't in live and work in Colorado,
> in the Four Corners Region with hantavirus around, I wouldn't be quite so
> concerned.   I immediately called the Safety Officer and he arranged for me to
> open the other boxes in an area with a hood and I'm to wear gloves and a mask,
> just as a precaution.  I'm hoping (probably wishful thinking) that the other
> boxes won't have the droppings.  I re-boxed the records in a clean box and have
> them sitting until I know what to do with them.   I realize the big issue with
> hantavirus is that its carried in the air, like if someone is cleaning out a
> garage with the droppings.  But I'm wondering if I need to do anything else.
> Are there other precautions I should be taking and what about the records
> themselves?  If I want/need to use them, should I do any more than just wipe
> them off?   Are there any resources or someone I can call to advise me about the
> records if I need to do more?  You can reply to me off list unless others are
> interested.  I just have to add that I'm looking forward to the three day
> weekend!
>
> Many thanks,
> Nancy Freeman, Records Manager/Archivist
> National Wildlife Research Center
> 4101 LaPorte Ave.
> Fort Collins, CO  80524
> (970) 266-6023
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
>       In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                     *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
> To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu
>
> Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>