ISSAQUAH, WA - With temperatures getting warmer, you might be inspired to do a little spring cleaning this week. If you do, King County health officials are reminding you to be wary of rodent droppings, which can harbor a potentially deadly respiratory virus.

In 2017, three people in King County contracted the relatively rare hantavirus. An Issaquah man in his 30s died in February 2017 of the virus, and health officials said at the time he had a rodent infestation around his home. A woman from Redmond and a woman from Issaquah survived their bouts with hantavirus that year.

"Some mice (deer mice, specifically) can carry hantavirus in their urine and droppings. This virus is rare, but can be potentially deadly in humans. So, if you are doing your annual spring cleaning and notice signs of infestation, take caution when cleaning it up," King County wrote in a recent blog post.