Mice can be quite cute and you might not think much of it when one scurries past you at your home or work. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that 1 mouse can have as many as 56 puppies in a year and a rat, almost twice that amount!
Apart from the damage that rodents can cause to your property and belongings, they can be a serious threat to your physical health. In fact, rats and mice are known to spread more than 35 diseases.
We had a look at a few diseases that can be carried over by rodents to humans, either by direct contact or indirectly from their faeces or food or water contaminated by it.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacteria that causes renal and liver failure, as well as cardiovascular problems.
It is contracted by anything you eat or drink contaminated with rodent urine or getting in direct contact with the urine or soil contaminated by it.
Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM)
LCM is a viral infection that can cause long-term effects of lymphocytic choriomeningitis, while others experience only temporary discomfort.
You can contract LCM by even just breathing in dust contaminated by rodent urine! Bite wounds, even though rare, can also spread it, as well as direct contact with rodents, their urine or dropping.
Salmonellosis
Symptoms of Salmonellosis are mostly mild, but if you have a severe infection it can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, and blood in the stool.ย
It is contracted by Eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated by rat faeces.
Rat-bite Fever
Rat-bite fever is an acute, febrile human illness caused by bacteria transmitted by rodents, in most cases, which is passed from rodent to human by the rodent’s urine or mucous secretions.ย
It can also be contracted by a bite or scratch wound from an infected rodent, or having contact with a dead rodent.
These are only some of the terrible diseases that rodents carry and can be carried over to humans.
If you have an infestation of rats or mice, Contact Service Master to assess the situation and administer the best solution for your rodent problems.
