Rats Can Carry These Pests And Diseases

Rats cause of multitude of issues. The primary problem with these vermin is that they can destroy property. They also spread filth. Not only that, they carry an enormous variety of pests and diseases. For example, here are just a few of the nasty’s carried by rodents.

1. Pests and parasites

To start with, these pests carry their own pests. This includes mites, lice and fleas. The issue is that rodents bring these pests into your home or business, where they then begin to multiply. The biggest problem here are fleas. Once fleas get into your home, you may find them impossible to get rid of as they are immune to poisons.

2. Hantavirus

What’s most terrifying about this disease is that we do not have any treatment or cure. If you’re infected with this disease, there’s an extremely good chance that you’ll die. Hantavirus is primarily spread through the faeces and urine of rats. This is especially true where there are large amounts of droppings present. This is why we do not recommend that you clean up huge piles of droppings yourself.

3. Plague

Out of all the pests and diseases spread by rodents, bubonic plague is the deadliest. It’s also the most famous, having killed around 200 million people in Europe during the Medieval and Early Modern Period. Many people believe that this disease is ancient history. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rats are still capable of spreading this disease. In fact, this disease has recently been discovered in places like Los Angeles.

4. Salmonella

When people think of the pests and diseases spread by rodents, salmonella is what most frequently comes to mind which is why rats are a risk. That’s usually because this disease is extremely common. Rats are always contaminating food with this bacteria, and making humans ill. This is why it’s so important that you do not eat anything that has been contaminated by rats.

5. Rat bite fever

Here’s a warning: never attempt to handle a rat. Along with this, never try to capture or trap a rat by chasing it. They will not hesitate to bite you. If this happens, you could be in serious trouble. For example, you may pick up something known as rat bite fever. This is a deadly condition that causes fever, rashes, headaches, vomiting and muscle pain.

6. Tularemia

Another one of the pests and diseases spread by rats is Tularemia. This is a bacteria found in rodents and also rabbits. It’s generally spread through ticks, which pick up the bacteria and then bite humans. While this disease is not generally fatal, it can be extremely unpleasant and requires proper rodent control.

7. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

Doctors refer to this as LCMV. It’s an extremely serious disease, mostly spread by mice (but also rats). The reason why this condition is so serious, is because it can result in neurological conditions such as meningitis.