Animals Involved
Reservoir mainly house mouse; can be maintained in some other mice, hamster populations; also infects guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, nonhuman primates, some other mammals
Known Distributions
Worldwide
Probable Means of Spreading
Contact with host excretions and secretions; bites; possibly ingestion
Clinical Manifestations in People
Ranges from mild flulike illness to biphasic with meningitis in second phase; complications (eg, arthritis, parotitis, orchitis) possible; can cause congenital defects (CNS defects, chorioretinitis, and other ocular lesions) or abortion; rarely fatal in immunocompetent (overall case fatality rate <1%)