TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei City authorities are urging the public to report rodent sightings in public areas following Taiwan’s first hantavirus-related death this year, CNA reported Tuesday.

The deceased, a man in his 70s with a history of chronic illness living in Daan District, developed respiratory symptoms in early January and died on Jan. 13, about eight days after symptoms began. Laboratory tests confirmed a hantavirus infection, marking the first fatal case in the country since 2000.

Environmental authorities said that of four mice captured near the patient’s residence, two tested positive for hantavirus antibodies. Hantavirus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it spreads from animals to humans, most commonly through rodents, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

In response, Taipei’s Department of Environmental Protection deployed eight vehicles and 29 staff to conduct rodent control and environmental disinfection within a 200-meter radius around the patient’s home. Measures included cleaning potential breeding sites, applying 49 liters of diluted bleach for disinfection, distributing 5 kilograms of rodenticide, and removing 6,550 kilograms of sewage sludge.

Humans can become infected by inhaling dust or coming into contact with surfaces contaminated with rodent urine, feces, or saliva, or through rodent bites. The incubation period ranges from several days to two months.

Lin Chih-fang (林志芳), head of the Water Quality and Vector Control Division, said the city is intensifying rodent control efforts in markets, night markets, parks, and other public spaces. Residents are encouraged to maintain cleanliness around their homes, remove food sources, seal entry points, and keep living areas tidy to prevent rodent infestations.

Residents can request rodenticide from their local office or the environmental protection department if needed.