Not only are they pesky and disgusting, having rodents in your home can be very dangerous to the health of your family. Even if you or your children are not getting bitten by mice or rats directly, rodents that are in or near your home can carry many diseases that may be dangerous or even deadly to your family members.
Fleas and ticks can bite rodents and then bite a human, passing on diseases without any direct contact to rats or mice in your home. Allergens may be found in mouse urine or dander, which may affect millions of people in the United States each year. Simply the presence of mice or rats in your home can be extremely unhealthy to your family, causing you to need rodent control sooner rather than later.
What Diseases Are Carried by Mice and Rats?
Mice and rats are carriers of various diseases, bacteria, viruses, and parasites, and can infect your family with the following problems, as well as many others.
Read More: 7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Mice
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
This disease has caused more than 500 deaths since its identification in 1993, causing flu-like symptoms that can lead to renal failure and respiratory distress. Children are more likely to contract this disease than adults, and it can be passed through the mice feces or urine, and is fatal in more than half of its cases.
Airborne Mouse Allergen
An unexpected cause of asthma, rodent allergens can be spread throughout the air and contracted by children, particularly those in inner-city areas and suburban homes. Breathing difficulties, allergies, and other asthma related illnesses may be caused by exposure to rodents.
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM)
This viral infections is acquired when humans breathe in the dust that contains mouse urine or droppings. The symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, and lack of appetite. Without treatment, this disease may cause damage to the brain.
Leptospirosis
Caused by bacteria coming into contact with animal saliva (including rodents), this disease can cause vomiting, muscle pain, headache, fever, chills, jaundice, rash, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Without treatment, the disease may lead to respiratory concerns, liver failure, kidney problems, meningitis, or even death.
Weil’s Disease
Patients who have acquired Leptospirosis may find it developing into this disease up to 10% of the time. This disease may cause internal bleeding or even lead to organ failure.
Rat Bite Fever
Misnamed as a rat does not actually have to bite the person in order for the disease to be passed, Rat Bite Fever can caused by either skin contact with a rodent or by ingesting contaminated beverages or foods. This may cause fever, chills, headache, vomiting, or muscle pain up to three months following exposure to the bacteria. Damage may be long-term if not properly treated.
Salmonella
Rodent feces can end up contaminating the food that your family eats, causing this painful intestinal disorder which is basically a strain of food poisoning. Although deaths from this disease are few, it acts as an extremely dangerous and painful disease and is easily transmittable from human to human due to poor hand washing, particularly in children.
What to Do about Mice Infestation in Your Home?
Obviously the first goal of protecting your family is to get rid of the rodents on your property. You may choose to use manual traps for this, or possibly call a professional mice control or rat control service in Houston. But even after mice or rat removal, your house needs to be cleaned top to bottom in order to keep their diseases from infecting your family.
Read More: 7 Signs of Rat Infestations in Your Home
Rodent urine can expose your family to disease so it is best to avoid vacuuming up dust or rodent droppings which can stir up the disease. Instead, sweep slowly and carefully while wearing rubber gloves and a mask. Then clean hard surfaces with a 10% bleach solution to kill possible germs.
Be sure to replace the air filters in your HVAC system and provide it with a good, professional cleaning to get rid of any continued problems with airborne allergens.
Ultimately seeking advice from a mouse or rat exterminator is the best course of action to make sure that your family is completely protected from the diseases that can be shared through a rodent infestation. Cypress Creek Pest Control offers a full range of services designed to keep your home and family safe, allowing you to rest easy about the possible danger of rodents in your home.
