Diseases Directly Transmitted by Rodents
If you’ve been of the opinion that mice, rats, and other similar rodents are cute and cuddly, you’re likely to change that opinion once you finish reading this article. Not only can they cause damage to your home and surroundings, they can transmit diseases which are incredibly deadly to both you, your family, and your pets.
Okay, one could argue that other animals can also carry diseases, and they wouldn’t be wrong. However, most of these diseases are rare and humans very rarely get affected. The difference between these diseases and the ones transmittable by rodents is vast.
It’s an arsenal of destruction which you won’t be able to cure before being subjected to difficulties and pain. So, it’s in your best interest to prepare your home and try to prevent the rodents from infecting it. If this doesn’t happen and if they do manage to break through, then you’ll have your work cut out for you.
But the main topic of this article is covering the various diseases which rodents carry. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do; bring each disease closer to you so you can see the danger that these rodents pose. You’d be wise to get rid of mice as fast as possible, especially once you get introduced to these diseases.
Leptospirosis
There’s no hiding from this disease as it can strike anywhere across the world. It’s transmitted through ingestion of fluids or food that contain rodent urine in them. You can also catch this disease through skin contact or through mucous membranes (for example, your nose).
Leptospirosis is a silent killer; it is sometimes mistaken for other diseases due to symptom similarities, whilst in other cases, there are no symptoms at all. It leads to kidney damage, respiratory failure, liver failure, and can even cause death.
Plague
That’s right – The Black Death is still among us. The major downside here is that it isn’t limited to rats and mice; on the contrary, most of the rodent species we have can transmit this disease. You can get infected by receiving a bite from a flea infected with the Plague, or by contact with the diseased rodent.
Thankfully, modern medicine has progressed so far as to effectively control the Plague and limit the damage it causes to humans. Unfortunately, you need to respond as quickly as possible and get yourself treated hastily if you get infected. The Plague, even though it almost wiped out humankind a long time ago, still poses a threat, albeit much smaller.
Salmonellosis
Another disease which doesn’t care about borders, Salmonellosis can infect you through food which is contaminated with rat or mice feces. The scary thing is that you might not even notice your food is contaminated, due to the size of their feces.
Always wash your food (where applicable) and keep safely out of reach. There’s only one way of preventing such a risky disease from appearing and it’s through proper hygiene.
Conclusion
As you can see, all of these diseases are deadly and almost invisible. Most don’t even show symptoms! It’s in everyone’s best interests that we take this matter seriously and fight back the rodents that choose to invade our homes. It is the only way to prevent such infectious diseases from causing damage to families and animals alike.
Author: Ethan Andrews