Health officials were prepared to close El Jarro Mexican restaurant because of a nagging rodent problem, when the restaurant agreed to voluntarily close for repairs and cleaning.

El Jarro will close Sunday for at least four days, the restaurant said, and possibly longer, the Health Department said. Mice can carry salmonella or hantavirus, said Bob Harrington, director of the Natrona-Casper Health Department.

In June a customer saw live mice running through the dining room, and an inspector found droppings and saw a live mouse. The restaurant closed for a day to clean and hired a second pest control company, but the problem continued through August, when an inspector visited after a customer complaint, and had a mouse run right over her shoe.

Harrington said cleanliness at the restaurant is much improved since the problems first occurred, and that mice are hard to control. Harrington finally told the owners, "You’re going to have to close to get this done properly," he said.