According to the Center for Disease Control, it was reported that over 10 million people were ill and many died of the diseases transmitted by rodents over the last century. If this is true as it is believed, then the importance of highlighting the dangers of rats and mice in and around the home cannot be overestimated. Here is a list of risks and dangers associated with the presence of rodents in your Raleigh home.
Why Rodent Infestations Can Be Dangerous
Generally, some diseases can be caused as a result of rat bites, scratches, and rat-bite-liver. In addition, the spread of leptospirosis, which can lead to liver and kidney damage, is caused majorly by the urine of the rat. Some other diseases can also be contracted by handling or inhalation of scat. Complications may include cardiovascular problems as well as kidney and liver failure.
In addition to the danger of having rats around, there is another infectious disease known as choriomeningitis (LCMV) that can be transmitted through the saliva and urine of the rat.
Below are the diseases which can be directly transmitted by rats:
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome- This is a viral disease which is transmitted by rice rats. This disease can be spread via one of three ways: inhalation of dust which is contaminated with urine or rat secretion, direct contact with fecal deposits of rat or urine, and occasionally because of the bite of rat.
- Leptospirosis- This is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted by direct contact with contaminated water by swimming, moving kayaking, or drinking contaminated water. Individuals may have an increased risk of Leptospirosis if they are working outdoors or on animals.
- Rat-Bite Fever- This disease can be transmitted by bite, scratching, or contact with a dead rat.
- Salmonellosis- Consuming food or water contaminated with rat secretion can cause this disease.
- Lyme Disease- Although some scientists claim Lyme disease is caused by a thick one that has black leg, others think that rats and mice also carry the disease. It was said to be transmitted by the rat bite. Symptoms of the disease include the appearance of skin lesions, fever, and headache.
Here are some diseases that are indirectly transmitted by rats:
- Black Plague- The black plague, also referred to as bubonic plague, is probably one of the most dangerous diseases in history which is a rat-borne disease. Always on the black list due to the devastation suffered in the Middle Ages which resulted in the death of millions of victims, the disease is transmitted by fleas. On the other hand, fleas contract it in the process of taking blood meals from rats and mice.
- Colorado Tick Fever- The Colorado tick fever is a viral disease and like a plague, it is known to be transmitted by the bite of a tick that has taken a blood meal from a bushy-tailed woodrat.
- Cutaneous Leishmaniasis- This disease is a parasite that transmits to a man as a result of the bite of an infected sand fly that is fed with woodrat.