“All mice and rats carry hantavirus.”

Not all rodents carry hantavirus. In the United States, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is the primary reservoir for Sin Nombre virus, the most common cause of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Other rodent species can carry different hantavirus strains, but most common household rodents are not significant reservoirs. The specific rodent species and geographic location matters.