This Virus Kills 1 in 3 People. And It’s in Your Backyard!

The government doesn’t want you to panic about hantavirus. And that’s exactly why that should worry you.

While the country focused on COVID-19 (1% death rate), another pathogen has been killing Americans for decades, with a death rate of 1 in 3. Some outbreaks hit 50%. Yet most people have never heard of it.

The latest victims? A cruise ship is stranded in the Atlantic right now – three passengers dead, over 140 stuck on board, and four continents scrambling to track everyone who got off before anyone knew what was happening. The WHO confirmed it: hantavirus.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s the same virus that killed Betsy Arakawa, Gene Hackman’s wife, in their Santa Fe home last year. She was gone within days with almost no symptoms.

Another interesting fact is that this virus doesn’t come from some distant country that we can quarantine. It comes from the mice in your shed, garage, or cabin walls. 

And it’s more contagious than we initially thought.

What Is Hantavirus

The CDC describes hantavirus as a naturally occurring family of viruses carried by rodents. Different strains cause different symptoms, and according to them, these viruses have existed forever.

But here’s what makes the American version different. We’re dealing with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, or HPS. While strains in other countries typically attack the kidneys, our version goes straight for the lungs and heart.

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The disease follows a predictable pattern that’s particularly nasty. Initially, victims feel like they’re coming down with the flu – fever, muscle aches, headaches, nothing that would send most people rushing to the emergency room. Life continues normally for a few days.

Work, family dinners, daily routines all carry on as usual. Then the second stage hits hard and fast. Lungs begin filling with fluid while the heart starts failing and blood pressure plummets. This transition from feeling slightly unwell to requiring life support often happens in less than 48 hours.

Recovery represents the third stage, assuming patients survive long enough to reach it.

How It First Appeared

The official story begins in spring 1993, when a young Navajo couple in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest died mysteriously within days of each other from sudden respiratory failure that doctors couldn’t explain. More cases followed, and the pattern was troubling – all the victims were young, healthy people who died in the same way. 

The CDC swoops in, identifies a “new” virus in two weeks flat, names it Sin Nombre (Spanish for “no name”), and declares case closed. Lightning-fast work for a supposedly unknown pathogen, wouldn’t you say?

But here’s what doesn’t add up.

First, the Navajo tribal elders immediately recognized the symptoms. They had oral traditions describing identical waves of mysterious respiratory deaths in 1918, 1933, and 1934. If this virus were causing outbreaks every 15-20 years, where were the CDC investigations then? Why did it take until 1993 for American science to “discover” what the Navajo had been tracking for decades?

Second, genetic analysis later suggested Sin Nombre virus had been circulating in North American deer mice since at least 1959 – maybe much longer. So for 34 years, this killer virus was floating around the American countryside, and nobody in the medical establishment noticed? In a country with the world’s most advanced healthcare system?

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are known carriers of hantavirus, unlike common house mice and rats.

Third, the timing gets interesting when you look at what else was happening. The 1993 outbreak coincided with unusual weather patterns that led to an explosion in the local deer mouse population. Environmental conditions were perfect for maximum human exposure to infected rodents.

The “discovery” of the American hantavirus happened at a very interesting time in this country’s history. The Cold War had just ended 2 years before, defense budgets were getting slashed, and biological warfare research programs were supposedly being shuttered. A lot of very smart people who used to work on very classified projects were suddenly looking for new jobs.

What if hantavirus wasn’t discovered in 1993? What if it were released?

Look at the geographic pattern. Ninety-four percent of cases have occurred west of the Mississippi River. Moreover, the Southwest is also where most of America’s military testing ranges are located. White Sands, Nevada Test Site, Dugway Proving Ground – all in hantavirus country.

And consider this: every single American case has been traced to rodent exposure, not person-to-person transmission. For a bioweapon, that’s actually a perfect design. I am not saying this is a conspiracy, but it’s definitely something to think about.

How Contagious Is Hantavirus? 

This is the part that should keep you awake at night.

You don’t need to touch an infected mouse or even see one. Actually, you don’t even need to be in the same room as one. All you need to do is breathe in a space where an infected mouse has been.

When a hantavirus-carrying mouse urinates, defecates, or leaves saliva behind – on your garage floor, in your shed, inside your cabin walls – those materials dry out. When they’re disturbed by something as simple as walking across the floor or opening a storage box, microscopic particles containing live virus become airborne. If you inhale them, you can be infected within minutes.

The highest-risk activities? Exactly the things that make you self-reliant. Cleaning out storage areas, working in barns and sheds or camping in remote areas. All the activities that take you away from the government’s watchful eye and into the countryside, where you might actually be independent.

Interesting coincidence, don’t you think?

The Silent Killer in Your Cellar (It’s Not Mice, nor Mold!)

An estimated 15% of deer mice in the U.S. carry hantavirus. That means roughly 1 in 7 of the most common rodents in America are walking bioweapons. Now, the CDC wants you to believe that hantavirus doesn’t spread between people in America. They’ll tell you every single case has been linked to rodent exposure, not human contact. That’s supposed to be reassuring.

But think about it: if you wanted to design a bioweapon for population control, wouldn’t you make it work exactly like this? Target rural Americans, independent-minded people who live outside major cities. Make it spread through activities that define self-sufficient living. Make it untraceable to any foreign enemy because hey, it comes from local mice.

And keep the person-to-person transmission capability in your back pocket for when you really need it. Because guess what? The Andes strain – the one that killed three people on that cruise ship in 2026 – can spread from human to human. The capability exists, but they just want you to believe the American strains don’t have it. Yet.

How Dangerous It Really Is

Let me put this in perspective for you using the government’s own numbers.

COVID-19, the virus that was used to lock down the entire country, destroy the economy, and strip away constitutional rights, kills roughly 0.5–1% of the people it infects. Seasonal flu? About 0.1%.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome kills between 35% and 40% of confirmed cases in the United States. Let me repeat that: 1 out of every 3 people who get diagnosed with HPS die.

The 1993 Four Corners outbreak killed 56% of patients. The Andes strain from the cruise ship? Up to 50% fatality rate. We shut down America for a 1% killer. But somehow, a 40% killer gets buried in medical journals and CDC footnotes.

So, why isn’t this front-page news every day? Why aren’t there task forces and emergency budgets and wall-to-wall media coverage? 

But the truly worrying part is that… there is no cure. If you get HPS, your survival depends entirely on reaching an intensive care unit equipped with mechanical ventilation and ECMO (a machine that functions as artificial lungs and heart). Sadly, not many rural hospitals have ECMO capability. So if you’re living in the countryside where you’re most likely to encounter hantavirus, you’re also in the place least equipped to save your life if you get infected.

Even if you make it to a hospital in time, even if they have the right equipment, even if you get the best care available, you still have a 40% chance of dying. Those are worse odds than Russian roulette.

And remember: these are just the confirmed cases. How many people have died from mysterious respiratory illness in rural America and never been tested for hantavirus? The CDC admits that hantavirus is underdiagnosed. The real numbers could be much, much higher.

The Body Count They’re Hiding

Since 1993, the CDC admits to 890 confirmed hantavirus cases in America. Over 300 are dead – that’s a 35% fatality rate, officially. But these numbers tell a concerning story when you look closer.

Notice where the deaths happen. 94% occur west of the Mississippi, concentrated in New Mexico (122 cases), Colorado (119 cases), and Arizona (86 cases). These are rural states where people are more likely to encounter rodent-infested spaces.

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The CDC acknowledges these numbers are “underreported” because most rural hospitals can’t test for hantavirus. Patients arrive with flu symptoms, die within 48 hours, and get buried with “pneumonia” on their death certificates before test results ever come back. How many rural deaths have been misclassified?

Recent patterns are getting worse. Arizona jumped from 1-3 annual cases to 11 cases in 2024 alone. High-profile victims like Betsy Arakawa (Gene Hackman’s wife) died at home in Santa Fe with no obvious risk factors. The Mono County cluster killed three people during what officials called “routine activities.”

The demographics show that over 60% of victims are men, likely because men more often do cleanup work in barns, sheds, and garages where mice nest, and droppings accumulate.

How to Protect Yourself (While You Still Can)

Prevention is literally everything with hantavirus. There’s no vaccine or a cure – and don’t expect one anytime soon.

Your only defense is staying ahead of a threat that most people don’t even know it exists.

Here are the steps that can keep you alive: 

• Seal your home like a fortress. Inspect every building you own for gaps, cracks, and holes. A mouse can squeeze through an opening the width of a pencil. Seal everything with steel wool, caulk, or metal flashing. Pay special attention to where utilities enter the structure and anywhere the foundation meets the walls. 
• Eliminate anything that feeds them. Store all food in sealed metal or thick plastic containers. This includes pet food, birdseed, livestock feed, and anything else edible. Don’t leave pet bowls out overnight. Keep garbage cans tightly covered. Clean up fallen fruit from trees. 
• Watch for signs of mice. The deer mouse is the main carrier of hantavirus in America, and they’re surprisingly common in rural areas. At the first sign of trouble – droppings, gnaw marks, or grease trails along walls – set traps right away. Snap traps with peanut butter work well, but live-catch traps and electronic options are also effective if you prefer alternatives. 
• Be cautious with seasonal buildings. Cabins, vacation homes, sheds, and barns that have been closed up for months can be especially risky. Before going inside, open all doors and windows from the outside and let the space air out for at least 30 minutes. Hold off on cleaning or organizing right away, and avoid leaf blowers or compressed air for clearing dust. Also, make sure you wear a mask! 
• Check vehicles before using them. Mice love nesting in engine compartments, air filters, and interior spaces of stored vehicles. Before starting any vehicle that’s been sitting unused, pop the hood and inspect for nesting material. If you find evidence of mice, clean it with disinfectant before running the engine or turning on the heat/AC.
• If you develop flu symptoms after potential exposure, get to a hospital immediately. Don’t “sleep it off.” Tell the doctor you may have been exposed to rodent droppings. Push for hantavirus testing if they try to dismiss it as flu. Early diagnosis can mean the difference between surviving and becoming another statistic.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong about a space – if you see droppings, smell urine, notice gnaw marks – take it seriously. 

But here’s the catch – what actually makes people sick is something we all do without a second thought: sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings, which launches virus particles directly into the air you breathe.

That’s what you should do instead:

1. Ventilate the area for at least 30 minutes before entering.
2. Wear rubber gloves.
3. Wear a N95 mask for light contamination, full respirators with HEPA filters for heavy infestations. You can find a 50-pack of N95s on Amazon for around $20.
4. Spray everything with bleach solution (1:10 ratio) and let it soak for 5 minutes minimum
5. Wipe up with disposable paper towels, bag everything, seal it, and throw it away.
6. Mop the area with more disinfectant.
7. Wash gloved hands before removing gloves, then wash bare hands with soap.

The Truth Behind It

Hantavirus has been killing Americans for over three decades, yet most people couldn’t tell you the first thing about it. That alone should make you wonder what else we’re not being told.

A virus that kills 1 in 3 people gets buried in medical journals while a 1% virus shut down the entire country for two years. Federal agencies acknowledge that cases are underreported, rural hospitals can’t even test for it properly, and death certificates often list “pneumonia” when the real culprit was something far more dangerous. Yet there are no public awareness campaigns and no morning news segments reminding you to check your shed before spring cleaning.

Why the silence?

Maybe it’s because admitting the truth would force uncomfortable questions, such as:

• What else is hiding in plain sight that we’ve been told is “too rare” to worry about?
• If they’re downplaying a virus that kills 1 in 3, what are they actually trying to hide?
• How many “pneumonia” deaths weren’t really pneumonia at all?

I’m not telling you what to think, but it’s really worth taking a closer look at this virus. Pay attention to the numbers yourself, read the CDC reports, and check the case maps. Always be vigilant and pay attention to which stories get airtime and which ones disappear.

Because here’s what we know for certain: the virus is real, the death rate is brutal, and the official response has been remarkably quiet for something this dangerous. Whether that silence is bureaucratic incompetence, simple media disinterest, or something more deliberate – that’s a conclusion you’ll have to reach on your own.

Think about that the next time you hear something scurrying in your walls.

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Hantavirus has no cure. But what about the viruses you’re far more likely to face?

Every cold and flu season, millions of Americans deal with respiratory viruses – influenza, COVID, common colds – that knock you flat for days or weeks. Unlike hantavirus, these are viruses you will encounter, probably multiple times a year. And unlike hantavirus, there are things you can do at home before they get serious.

Dr. Nicole Apelian’s The Forgotten Home Apothecary has 50+ anti-viral remedies that you can make anytime with ingredients you most probably already have at home.

Get the Forgotten Home Apothecary Here

It won’t replace an ER visit for something like hantavirus. Nothing will. But for the everyday viruses that hit your household every year, having a well-stocked home apothecary means you’re not starting from zero.

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The post This Virus Kills 1 in 3 People. And It’s in Your Backyard! appeared first on Ask a Prepper.

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The 6-Phase Food Scarcity Prep Plan

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

If you've been to a grocery store lately, you may have noticed that prices are rising faster again. The war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is causing the biggest energy crisis in history, which will affect the price of everything.

Food prices are going to rise particularly fast due to the lack of fertilizer being exported from the gulf. Currently, farmers are using less fertilizer than usual, and that will affect the price of food significantly come harvest season. So what do we do?

First of all, don't panic-buy. Instead, what you want to do is buy strategically. Stocking up ahead of price hikes means you lock in today's prices before they climb even higher. It's the same logic as filling your gas tank before a hurricane hits. The people who wait until shelves are thinning out end up paying a premium or going without.

Fortunately, building a solid food supply doesn't require a bunker or a massive budget. It just requires a plan. Recently, I came across a great guide from Morgan over at the YouTube channel, Rogue Preparedness. She explains how any household can get ahead of food scarcity and inflation in six straightforward phases.

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You can watch her video and read the six phases below.

Phase 1: Take Inventory of What You Already Have

Before you spend a single dollar, open your pantry, cabinets, and freezer and take a full physical inventory of what you already own.

Write it all down. You may discover you have a surplus of one thing and almost none of another. Maybe you've got plenty of canned fruit but zero protein. Maybe you have MREs you'll never touch but no everyday staples. Check expiration dates while you're at it.

This step matters because it shows you the gaps, and those gaps are what you'll be filling. The goal isn't to stock up on foods you'll never eat. It's to build a supply of things your household actually consumes. If you rotate through what you store, nothing goes to waste and you're essentially shopping at today's prices for food you'd buy anyway.

Phase 2: Build a Three-Day Supply First, Then Expand

Once you know what you have, start small. The immediate goal is a solid three-day supply of food including breakfast, lunch, and dinner for every person in your household.

Focus on ready-to-eat or minimally prepared foods at this stage. Canned goods are ideal: they're nutritious, affordable, shelf-stable, and require little to no cooking. Canned meats, peanut butter, fruit, vegetables, and soups are all solid starting points. You don't need anything exotic or expensive.

Once you have three days covered, work toward two weeks. The key rule here: only stock what your family will actually eat. If your kids won't touch something now, they won't want it during a stressful emergency either. Keep it familiar.

Phase 3: Add Long-Term Calorie-Dense Staples

After your short-term supply is in place, it's time to layer in longer-shelf-life foods that provide serious calories and versatility. Think:

• Rice (white rice stores exceptionally well)
• Pasta
• Dried beans and lentils — whatever variety your family actually likes
• Flour
• Instant or freeze-dried potatoes

These are high-calorie, affordable, and mix well with almost anything. For longest shelf life, store them in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, which can keep staples like rice and flour good for many years.

Again, stick to what you'll eat. Don't buy pinto beans if nobody in your house likes pinto beans. Get the ones you enjoy. The best food storage is food storage that gets used and rotated.

Phase 4: Don't Forget the “Invisible” Foods — Spices and Seasonings

This phase is the one most people skip, and it's a mistake. Plain rice and beans cooked without seasoning is unpleasant. Seasoned well, it's a perfectly satisfying meal.

Stock up on:

• Salt (historically one of the most valuable commodities on earth — stock plenty)
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Your favorite spices and herbs
• Cinnamon — it adds flavor to oatmeal, coffee, and baked goods, and has the added benefit of helping regulate blood sugar

Spices are cheap, lightweight, take up almost no space, and dramatically improve morale when you're eating from your food storage. Add them to your stockpile now.

Phase 5: Invest in Off-Grid Cooking Options

By Phase 4 you've introduced foods that require actual cooking — rice, beans, pasta, flour. That creates a dependency on your stove. Phase 5 is about solving that.

Even if you have a gas stove, power outages and fuel disruptions happen. Invest in at least one or two off-grid cooking alternatives:

• Rocket stove (very fuel-efficient, can be DIY or purchased)
• Hobo stove (simple and inexpensive)
• Coleman propane camp stove
• Alcohol stove
• A basic fire pit in your backyard

Stock the appropriate fuel for whatever method you choose, then test it before you need it. Cook a real meal on it. Learn how your setup works, how long things take, and how much fuel you burn. Don't wait until an emergency to figure this out.

Phase 6: Store Everything Smartly and Build a System

Having food is only half the battle. The other half is knowing what you have, where it is, and how to use it.

Storage tips:

• Metal shelving units are ideal — sturdy, easy to organize, and can hold a surprising amount
• Use closets, under-bed storage, bins, and cabinets to spread your supply around
• Label everything and track expiration dates
• Rotate your stock — newest purchases go to the back, oldest to the front

More importantly, build a system. Know which foods are ready to eat, which require cooking, and how you'll prepare each one. A lot of people stock food but have no plan for actually using it. Don't be that person.

Don't forget water. You cannot cook rice, beans, or pasta without water. Stock water alongside your food at every phase:

• Buy extra gallon jugs whenever you buy groceries
• Fill dedicated water storage containers
• Consider a rainwater collection system
• At minimum, have a water filter on hand

One Last Tip: Find Your Local Food Sources

Don't rely entirely on grocery stores. Supermarkets are deeply dependent on long, fragile supply chains. Start building relationships with local alternatives now:

• Farmers markets
• Local farms and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)
• Local ranchers for beef and other meats
• Neighbors and community gardens

And consider growing something yourself, even on a small scale. Microgreens, sprouts, and container gardens can supplement your supply and reduce your dependence on the store. Morgan notes she's lived everywhere from Alaska to Arizona, and there are local growers in every region. You just have to look.

The Bottom Line

You don't need 10 years of food stored in a warehouse. You need a realistic, rotating supply of foods your family actually eats, a system for cooking them when the power is out, and water to go alongside all of it. Start with three days. Build to two weeks. Keep going from there.

The people who stock up before a crisis hit get to shop at today's prices and stay out of the chaos. The people who wait end up competing for whatever's left on the shelf at whatever price is being charged.

Get ahead of it now, while the options are still good and the shelves are still full.

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The post The 6-Phase Food Scarcity Prep Plan appeared first on Urban Survival Site.

from Urban Survival Site

Amazing Things A Mother Does Every Day

I want to talk about the amazing things a mother does every day. Have you thought about all the fantastic things a mother does? The title mother starts when you hold that baby, toddler, or child you gave birth to or adopted.

You may be an aunt, like a mother, to a family member. You may not have wanted to have children of your own. We are different, and that’s what makes life so interesting. I am updating this post from May 2020. I always keep the comments. I got emotional reading through some of them. I’ve been blessed to meet the best people through my blog, and I am honored that you follow me. I hope you realize, even though we have never met in person, I love all of you. May God bless you on your journey to preparedness.

Mother’s Day

This Sunday is, in fact, Mother’s Day. I am the mother of four daughters. As a young girl, I babysat for the neighborhood. I was one of those girls who loved the kids and the money. I used that money to buy my clothes or sew them. That’s how it was when I grew up.

As a young girl, I worked hard and learned a lot, thankfully from my mother. Here’s the deal: I want to break a mother’s life into sections. I realize we all have different stories, but this is my story.

You may or may not have done some of the things I have listed today. Life is good, and I’m thankful I’m a mother. Some people will say my mother was “hard” to be around. She had a rough childhood that no one should have endured. But she had a heart of gold and would give you the shirt off her back, literally. When she was younger, I remember her laughing. I think that’s where I get my giggling from. Laughing makes me happy!

Things A Mother Does

When they hand you that beautiful baby, you count the toes and fingers, check for dimples, and then see how much or how little hair that tiny baby may have. Then, you cuddle that baby, which you may or may not have breastfed. Or you washed bottles constantly; either way, that baby was blessed.

Nowadays, many mothers are giving birth at home. Oh, how we are just like the pioneers once again. I had all four daughters in a hospital. Change is good, and we are all different.

A typical day is feeding the baby, burping the baby, bathing the baby, changing the diaper, rocking the baby, and hoping the baby takes some good naps.

Now, you are learning to become a mother among all the baby cuddling. The baby doesn’t come with instructions, and believe me, I could have used some. You still have to do the following while holding a baby in your arms or on your hip as they age. As the kids mature and we learn to be the best moms we can be, we’ll have good days, bad days, hard days, the best days, and the worst days as we deal with new experiences and challenges.

These are just a few of the things we, as mothers, may have done, or that our mothers did with us as children, and that continued until we moved out on our own.

1. Laundry never ends.
2. Cooking or baking can be fun when we do it together, but some weeks this chore never seems to end. We teach them how to read and follow recipes to make successful, nutritious meals. I remember my mom teaching me to make my first pie crust.
3. Grocery shopping is a must. Making good meals is important for moms, making us feel like better wives. If your husband or partner does the cooking, you are really blessed.
4. A mother plans the menus and meals.
5. We teach the children how to “set the table” correctly. Proper etiquette is one of those simple things to teach.
6. We teach the children to clean up after themselves before they start another game or project. Keeping a home well every day is a real challenge. Kids’ rooms seem to take on a disaster quality.
7. I will make bread in between all of this. You know, to save money. We will teach the kids to make bread. Cooking bread helps me to recharge during the week since I enjoy it so much.
8. We will learn to budget our income so we can pay the bills and still eat.
9. Make doctor’s appointments for the new baby, the other children, and us.
10. Make dentist appointments to stay healthy.
11. We may have church obligations of time and money.
12. We will set an example by serving with a civic club. Taking on another thing often means we must take a deep breath, plan the week, and dive in as best we can.
13. We will prepare the children for school or a trade school so they have a good life. Helping with the homework was a challenge for me. Mark often had to jump in when he had some free time.
14. Your husband, wife, or partner is in school, and you are typing reports. They work two jobs so the family won’t have student loans.
15. Help keep the kids clean by bathing them at night or even in the afternoon before they lie down for some much-needed slumber.
16. Please teach the children manners and respect for others. We sometimes feel like therapists as we explain why bullying is not okay and that being kind is an important social skill.
17. They will learn not to slurp their soup or chew with their mouths open.
18. Help with the PTA at school or homeschool your children.
19. I love a clean house, and I mean do. It helps with my sanity. I own it.
20. Oh, you’re missing a button. I will mend it. I am a mother.
21. A mother will hug a child and sympathize if the child is in pain or needs a Band-Aid.
22. We get the children bathed and ready for bed.
23. We tuck them in and read them a bedtime story.
24. We will sing songs with them.
25. We teach them to pray.
26. The children will learn from our example to help their siblings and others when needed in tough times.
27. We teach them to vacuum, dust, and clean out the refrigerator as they learn to share household chores.
28. We will teach them to be self-reliant and not depend on the government for assistance.
29. We teach our children how to read before they start school. My mommy’s brain wants them to have a head start.
30. We will drive them to the piano, music, dance, or sporting lessons. It seems like we sign up the kids for a lot!
31. Vacations—oh, that’s the best part. We’ll wash, pack, and organize the clothing for Mom, Dad, and the kids. We’ll pack the car with snacks and water, then ask Dad to get the keys.
32. We’ll help with last-minute requests for “projects” due tomorrow, including those due at 10:30 P.M. We also need to be candid when we can’t help. That’s part of teaching them to organize their time.
33. A mother will teach her children to sew clothes or to make a quilt. Of course, they need to know how to thread a needle; that’s common sense.
34. Gardens, we can’t forget the joy of growing your food and the blessing of being more self-reliant. We teach the kids about seeds, how to plant them, when to harvest them, and how to preserve our bounty.
35. Let’s not forget how to play; we will show them that playing is good. Whether it’s puzzles, shooting hoops, riding a bike for the first time, flying a kite, or even playing in the mud on a rainy day, life is full of adventures; just look around.
36. We get the children ready for picture day and family portraits. We plan and carry out special days like birthdays.
37. We teach them to love themselves and others unconditionally. Having strong mental health is as important as physical health, but it is often overlooked.
38. They schedule appointments to lube and oil the mama car, and for other car maintenance.
39. Get the car washed.
40. Teach our children to be social as part of their growing-up lessons.
41. Helps extended family, neighbors, and others whenever possible.
42. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
43. May God bless all the mothers so they can love themselves.
44. You teach the kids to be honest in all they do.
45. You train them always to try their best and not give up.
46. You explain how important it is to choose good friends.
47. You tell them how beautiful they are, and they know you never lie.
48. You answer their questions about dating, marriage, and intimacy.
49. You tell them how wonderful parent work is, especially a mother’s work at home.
50. You explain why communication within a family, school, and work is essential.

Life as a mother is a treasure to me. I always wanted to be a mother. When the grandchildren came along, life became even better. Life is good for a family that loves one another. Life comes with trials, but we learn to deal with them. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day! May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright pictures: AdobeStock_51346789 by Jpldesigns, Mothers Day Flowers AdobeStock_139085786 By Pixelbliss

The post Amazing Things A Mother Does Every Day appeared first on Food Storage Moms.

from Food Storage Moms

American LaMancha Goats for Homesteaders

When it comes to livestock, goats have a lot going for them for homesteaders. Smaller, cheaper, and easier to handle compared to cows, and not quite as nasty or destructive as pigs, goats occupy a neat middle ground and can still furnish you with plenty of meat and milk for your own family or as ... Read more

American LaMancha Goats for Homesteaders can be read in full at New Life On A Homestead- Be sure to check it out!

from New Life On A Homestead

Hantavirus: What Is It?

Hantavirus: What It Is, how it spreads, and how to protect your family. Here’s a plain-language post to help you understand hantavirus, recognize the risks, and take simple steps to keep your household safe. Most people go their entire lives without thinking about hantavirus. Then a news story surfaces about a confirmed case, and suddenly the questions come flooding in. What exactly is hantavirus? How do people catch it? Could my family be at risk? This post answers all of those questions in plain, straightforward language so you can feel informed and prepared, not panicked.

When Mark and I lived in Southern Utah, the news would report a few cases of Hantavirus each year. We had desert rats and mice. I can’t forget the cockroaches. We had the outside of our house sprayed monthly, safe or not, I didn’t want dirty cockroaches in my house. We did have traps for the rats and mice, and our home was meticulously clean, as was our yard. These critters want to “nest” when the time is right. When you live in the desert, you get used to desert rats and mice; we took over their terrain if you think about it. We had to have a special group come and get rid of desert rats that had made a home in my pool toy container, which held life jackets; they had a heyday shredding them.

It wasn’t until I saw that Gene Hackman and his wife may have had Hatavirus that I thought about writing this post. Gene Hackman’s Wife BBC Article. Then this week, a cruise line had a Hantavirus infestation, with 3 deaths so far. Here is one article,
European Center for Disease Prevention and Control

Hantavirus: What Is It?

Hantavirus is a family of viruses carried primarily by wild rodents. The virus doesn’t make the rodents themselves visibly sick, which is part of what makes it tricky from a public health perspective. Instead, infected rodents shed the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva throughout their lives. Humans can become infected when they come into contact with these materials, most often by inhaling airborne particles.

There are several strains of hantavirus found around the world. In North and South America, the strain that causes the most serious illness is known as Sin Nombre virus, which leads to a condition called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). In parts of Europe and Asia, different strains cause a related but distinct condition called Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). This article focuses primarily on the North American context and HPS.

Key fact: Hantavirus isn’t a new disease. It’s likely existed for centuries, but it was first formally identified and described by scientists in the United States in 1993 during an outbreak in the Four Corners region of the Southwest (Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico).

Which Animals Carry Hantavirus?

In North America, the primary carrier of the Sin Nombre hantavirus strain is the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), a small, large-eared rodent with a white belly that’s common across much of the continent. Other rodent species can carry different hantavirus strains, including the white-footed mouse, the cotton rat, and the rice rat.

Not every wild mouse or rat carries hantavirus. Infection rates in rodent populations vary significantly by region and by season. However, because you can’t tell by looking at a rodent whether it’s infected, it’s wise to treat all wild rodents and their traces as potentially hazardous. Hantavirus isn’t known to be carried by common household pets such as dogs and cats. It’s also not carried by insects, birds, or livestock.

How Does Hantavirus Spread to People?

The most common way a person contracts hantavirus is by inhaling tiny airborne particles contaminated with the virus. This happens when dried rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials are disturbed, causing particles to become airborne. Sweeping out a dusty shed, cleaning an old cabin that has been closed for months, or moving a pile of wood where mice have nested are all scenarios that can stir up these particles.

Less commonly, a person can be infected by touching something contaminated with rodent secretions and then touching their mouth or nose, or through a bite from an infected rodent. Person-to-person transmission of North American hantavirus strains hasn’t been documented. You can’t catch hantavirus from another sick person, which distinguishes it from many other respiratory illnesses.

Higher-risk situations to be aware of

Certain activities and settings carry a higher chance of exposure than others. Opening and cleaning a building that has been closed for a long period is one of the most commonly cited risk factors, as mice may have nested inside during the off-season. Agricultural work, camping, and hiking in areas with high rodent populations also increase the risk of exposure. Construction and excavation work can disturb rodent burrows and nesting sites.

What Are the Symptoms?

One reason hantavirus is taken seriously by public health officials is that Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome can be severe and progress rapidly. Early symptoms, which appear one to five weeks after exposure, can resemble those of influenza and include fatigue, fever, muscle aches (particularly in the large muscle groups of the thighs, hips, back, and shoulders), headaches, dizziness, chills, and sometimes stomach upset.

Four to ten days after the early phase begins, symptoms progress to include coughing and shortness of breath as the lungs fill with fluid. This respiratory phase is the dangerous stage of the illness. Anyone experiencing these symptoms after a known or possible rodent exposure should seek medical care immediately and inform their healthcare provider about the potential exposure.

When to seek help: If you’ve been in an environment with signs of rodent activity and develop fever, fatigue, and difficulty breathing within a few weeks, contact a doctor promptly and mention the possible exposure. Early medical attention is important.

How to Protect Your Family: Prevention Tips That Work

The encouraging news is that hantavirus infection is entirely preventable. Because the virus doesn’t spread through the air between people and requires direct contact with infected rodent materials, following a handful of practical precautions greatly reduces your risk. N-95 Masks, Disposable Gloves.

Keep rodents out of your home

The single most effective strategy is preventing rodents from entering your living spaces in the first place. Seal any gaps or holes in walls, foundations, and around pipes that are larger than a pencil eraser. Store food, including pet food and birdseed, in sealed metal or heavy plastic containers. Keep firewood stacked away from the house and elevated off the ground. Reduce clutter inside and around the home, as piles of boxes, newspapers, and similar materials create attractive nesting spots.

Clean safely when rodents have been present

If you discover signs of rodents in a space such as a garage, storage shed, attic, or vacation cabin, resist the urge to sweep or vacuum immediately. Dry sweeping and vacuuming can send virus particles into the air. Instead, air out the space by opening windows and doors for at least 30 minutes before entering. Wear rubber, latex, or vinyl gloves along with a quality face mask. Spray droppings, nesting materials, and contaminated surfaces with a disinfectant solution or a bleach-and-water mixture, and let it soak for 5 minutes before wiping up with a damp cloth or paper towel. Double-bag the waste and dispose of it in a sealed trash container. After cleaning, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

For heavily infested spaces, consider contacting a professional pest control service before attempting to clean. In some situations, wearing an appropriate respirator (rated N95 or higher) is also recommended.

Be cautious in outdoor settings

When camping or hiking, avoid sleeping on bare ground in areas with obvious rodent activity. Use a tent with a floor, and keep food stored in rodent-proof containers. Don’t disturb or pick up wild rodents, alive or dead.

Treatment and Outlook

There is currently no specific antiviral drug approved to treat hantavirus infection. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and supporting the patient, often in an intensive care setting where doctors can assist with breathing and maintain blood oxygen levels. The sooner a patient receives supportive care, the better the outcome tends to be, which is why recognizing symptoms early and seeking medical help promptly is so important.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome has a significant fatality rate, historically estimated between 30 and 40 percent in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, it’s also relatively rare. The CDC typically records fewer than 50 cases per year in the United States, and most people who spend time outdoors or encounter rodents will never be exposed to an infected animal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get hantavirus from my cat or dog bringing in a dead mouse? The primary risk would come from handling the dead mouse directly, not from your pet. Pets can carry contaminated material on their fur, so washing your hands after handling them in areas where rodents are present is a good habit. Cats and dogs aren’t known to be carriers of hantavirus.

Is hantavirus contagious between people? The North American strains of hantavirus, including the one causing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, aren’t known to spread from person to person. You can’t catch it from a sick family member or coworker.

Should I be worried about my child playing outside? Every day, outdoor play carries a very low risk. Teach children not to handle wild animals or disturb burrows, and to wash their hands after playing outdoors, especially in areas where rodents may be present. Simple hygiene habits go a long way.

How do I know if my home has a rodent problem? Look for droppings (small, dark, pellet-shaped), gnaw marks on food packaging or wood, nesting materials such as shredded paper or fabric, and evidence of gnawing around entry points. Rodent activity often increases in fall and winter as animals seek warmth.

Where in the United States is hantavirus most common? Cases have been reported in most U.S. states, but the highest concentrations have historically been in rural western and southwestern Regions. States including New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California have recorded the most cases, though the deer mouse range spans most of North America.

How would people on a cruise ship get hantavirus? Although the recent sickness and deaths on a cruise ship that visited some African locations are still being investigated, it’s believed that rodents may have entered the ship’s storage areas. Certain foodstuffs are often stored below decks until needed for meal preparation. It should also be noted that some variants have shown an ability to move from human to human, although very rare.

How To Love Cleaning Bathrooms

Final World

Hantavirus is a serious illness, but most people can effectively protect themselves by understanding how it spreads and taking a few common-sense precautions. Keep rodents out of your living spaces, clean contaminated areas safely, and avoid disturbing rodent nesting sites without protection. If you suspect exposure and develop respiratory symptoms, reach out to a healthcare provider right away and mention the potential contact. Awareness is the most powerful tool you have. Now that you know what hantavirus is and how to reduce your risk, you are far better equipped to keep your home and family safe. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Rats Contagious Diseases AdobeStock_391154510 By Thongchai, Mouse Desert With Long Tail AdobeStock_364384365 By Michael

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