Types of Diseases That Rodents Carry

We have an effective and successful rodent control strategy that involves proper sanitation measures, exclusion, and population reduction.

It’s 2 AM, and you hear a rat scurrying along your wall or in your attic, and you think to yourself, “that’s a problem for another day.” We’re sure you’re not the only one that hates rats, but rats and mice do more than interrupt your sleep and gnaw on your favorite food. These tiny critters harbor disease-causing pathogens and parasites that pose a serious health risk to you and your family. So the next time you try to ignore that rat problem, you might want to think again.

According to the CDC, rats and mice are known to spread over 35 diseases across the globe. You can get these diseases through direct contact with the rodent or the rodent’s feces, urine, or saliva. You can also get them through scratches or bites from the rodents.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Hantavirus is a viral disease spread by deer mice, rice rats, white-footed mice, and cotton rats. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), or hantavirus, is a life-threatening disease caused by Bunyaviruses. The disease affects the lungs, heart, and kidneys and has flu-like symptoms. However, over time, the symptoms worsen, and you could find yourself in the ER if you don’t seek early treatment.

Hantavirus spreads through the rodents’ urine, feces, and saliva. The worst part is that you can get hantavirus by just breathing in dust contaminated with the rodents’ urine or feces. That’s why you don’t want any rodents hanging around your home.

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM)

LCM is a disease carried by the regular house mouse. It’s a disease that’s easily transmissible from one rodent to another. And this means that although domesticated rodents don’t carry the disease, they can contract if disease-carrying wild mice are present in your home.

You can get this disease by direct contact with an infected mouse or its feces and urine. You can also catch LCM by breathing in dust infected with infected mouse urine or feces. LCM is a neurological disease that affects the brain and spine but starts as a simple fever. The disease requires hospitalization and large doses of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat.

Rat-Bite Fever (RBF), or Spirillary Fever

Rat-bite fever is somewhat of a misnomer because the disease is more than just a fever. Rat-bite is a disease caused by the bacterium streptobacillus moniliformis. You contract RBF when you get scratched or bitten by an infected rat or when you touch a dead rodent that’s infected. You can also get it by drinking water contaminated by rat urine and feces from an infected rodent.

Symptoms include a severe headache, fever, vomiting, and a rash in some people.

Let Us Take Care of Your Rodent Problem

We could go on and on about rodent-caused diseases, but the ones highlighted above should suffice. If you want to safeguard your family’s health, contact B & D Pest Solutions LLC the moment you notice any rodent activity in your home. We have an effective and successful rodent control strategy that involves proper sanitation measures, exclusion, and population reduction using trapping.