Trapping mice and hantavirus

[Bhold]

Well, I quit trying to find out by myself. I tried all keyword combinations I could think of for a search, at no avail.

Trapping mice for meat: how worried should I be of hantavirus? Is throwing them in the fire - without gutting - enough to get rid of the virus?

I am not eating mice yet, but was kind of planning to try...

I know the matter is dealt with both in Naked into the wilderness II and Elpel's participating in nature, but as I don't have anny of those, it does me not good.

If the answer is "we don't have hantavirus in the british isles", it would not solve my problem, because, you see, the mice on my plan wouldn't be british, but probably brazilian, and we have hantavirus in some areas of the country.

Well, thanks, and bon apetit.

 

[fredcraft]

I wonder what the meat tastes like

The good thing is that they are perfect "snack-size" ! To quote a famous bushcrafter (NOT):

"In my pockets ? I usualy carry tinder in my left one and a few fresh mice with a powerbar in my right one for those long walks between camps !"

Will be following that post for sure

 

[Jodie]

I've no personal knowledge of this but found some - hopefully - useful
information via Google.

It seems that hantavirus is transmitted through dust from faeces or
from mouse bites, according to a BBC report from 1998.

Information from the US Center for Disease Control - aimed at
householders though!
http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/hantavirus.htm

Zoonosis or Zoonoses are good searchwords (means 'transmission
of disease from animals to people') and DEFRA's Zoonoses report
from 2005 mentions hantavirus, on page 45 (49 of 80 sheets):
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/zoonoses/zoonoses_reports/zoonoses2005.pdf

"Each hantavirus type is associated with a single rodent species host and
geographical distribution. Some types have mammalian host species found
in the UK; Dobrava (yellow necked mouse), Puumala (bank vole) and Seoul
and black rat). Although there is serological evidence of human infection in
the UK, there have only been a few reports of previous infection. Infection
in humans in the UK is rare and no cases were reported in 2005."

I don't know if flambeeing your mouse will eliminate the virus but it
seems that you'd be at greatest risk from the catching and preparing
part of the procedure, and being near where they live / excrete.

Most but not all viruses are destroyed by heat as far as I'm aware.

 

[Bhold]

Thanks Jodie, that helps.
But I am still interested in references from wilderness survival books, and about what they have to say about it.
Does anyone have any idea?
Is it worth considering? Or it is best to just rule out the mice? (problem is, they are abundant almost everywhere, and would be a good source of meat).

 

[torjusg]

The European variation of the hantavirus is far less potent than the American one. So I would claim that the risk is negible. But don't try to smell the mouse in anyway, since that is how it is mainly transmitted.

Haven't yet tried to eat mice, but it's high on my list.

 

[Bhold]

Haven't yet tried to eat mice, but it's high on my list.

If you do it before me, let me know how they taste...
And how you prepare them.
Cheers