Many U.S. homes are invaded by rats and other rodents. These pests carry diseases that can be very harmful, even life-threatening. But, it’s important to understand how common these diseases are and the risks they pose for you and your family.

These illnesses are spread through contact with infected waste, bites from the pests, or handling them. Some of the most common diseases include hantavirus, LCMV, plague, salmonellosis, rat bite fever, and tularemia. Knowing how these diseases are transmitted is key to keeping yourself and your family safe.

Key Takeaways

• Millions of homes in the U.S. are infested with rodents that can carry deadly diseases.
• Common rodent-borne diseases include hantavirus, LCMV, plague, salmonellosis, rat bite fever, and tularemia.
• Diseases are typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent waste, bites, or handling infected rodents.
• Up to 10% of rat bites may result in rat bite fever, and Salmonella infections can be especially dangerous for young children and the elderly.
• Proper rodent-proofing can reduce the likelihood of infestation by up to 90%.

Introduction to Rodent-Borne Diseases

Understanding the Risks and Transmission Routes

Rodent-borne diseases are a big issue for public health across the globe. This includes diseases carried by both wild rodents like rats and mice, and pet rodents such as hamsters and guinea pigs. Humans can get sick from these diseases through direct contact with the rodents or with things they’ve left behind, like droppings or urine. Also, through things like ticks and fleas that have been on infected rodents.

Having a rodent problem at home or where you work makes these risks worse. Signs like rodent droppings or chewed items show that they are active. This means they could spread diseases. Knowing how these diseases can be passed on is key to stopping their spread.

Diseases can go from rodents to people in many ways:

• Breathing in contaminated air
• Touching infected materials
• Being bitten or scratched
• Consuming contaminated food

Also, not only rodents, but also bugs like ticks and mosquitoes can spread diseases to us. And we can even get sick by eating other bugs, like beetles or cockroaches, that have been around rodent waste.

To reduce the risk of these diseases, check for rodents regularly and control them effectively. Knowing how they spread and taking steps to prevent it can make a big difference in keeping people safe from these serious illnesses.

Hantavirus: A Deadly Respiratory Illness

Hantaviruses are viruses carried by rodents, like deer mice. They can lead to severe respiratory illnesses in people. The most dangerous is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which needs quick medical care.

HPS starts with general symptoms. These include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. The illness can get worse, causing coughing, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness. Severe cases can lead to fluid in the lungs, affecting breathing and causing shock. About 38% of people with these breathing issues do not survive.

Another serious illness from hantaviruses is Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). It shows up with bad headaches, pain in the back and stomach, fever, and chills. The danger level of HFRS depends on the virus. Some forms can be deadly.

To lower hantavirus risk, avoid rodents and keep them out of living spaces. Use traps and keep clean. Getting a diagnosis within 72 hours of possible exposure is hard. So, if you’re sick after being around rodents, seek medical help fast.

There’s no special treatment for hantaviruses. But supportive care can make a big difference. For HPS, patients might need help with breathing. HFRS patients could require dialysis. Early medical help can improve chances of survival.

Hantavirus infections are very serious. But, we can protect ourselves by being careful. If you think you’ve been close to rodents or show sickness signs, see a doctor right away.

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)

The lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a big worry, especially for pregnant women. It’s often carried by house mice. This virus can hurt babies before they’re even born, leading to serious problems like birth defects and issues with thinking.

Protecting Pregnant Women and Unborn Babies

LCMV comes in two stages. First, you might feel sick with symptoms like nausea and headaches. Later, it can cause more brain-related issues such as meningitis or encephalitis.

Pregnant women are more likely to get LCMV, and it can be very harmful to their babies. Many babies who are born with issues linked to LCMV don’t survive. For those who do, some may face serious problems with learning and thinking.

Luckily, the virus doesn’t often pass between people, except from a mother to her baby. There’s a risk if you get an organ from a donor who has LCMV. But, the chances of dying from LCMV are low, especially if you’re healthy.

To keep pregnant women and their babies safe, it’s key to know the risks of LCMV. Taking precautions and getting medical help quickly if you show symptoms can make a big difference. This can help ensure both a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.

The Plague: A Persistent Threat

The plague, known for killing millions during the Middle Ages, still poses a threat. It’s caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Plague can appear in forms like bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. The main way people get it is through flea bites from infected rodents.

Even with modern medicine, the plague is a big health risk. It can kill if not treated swiftly. For untreated cases, pneumonic plague has a high death rate. Bubonic plague can also be deadly. Getting timely antibiotics is key to survival.

Plague has caused some of the worst epidemics in history. The Black Death in Europe killed around 50 million from 1347 to 1353. The third pandemic, starting in 1894, took over 12 million lives in India.

Outbreaks of plague are less common now, but still happen. The disease persists in parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. Climate change, urbanization, and rodents play roles in its spread. The disease spreads quickly, as seen in past pandemics.

The WHO considers plague a major threat and subject to quarantine rules. Since 1900, efforts like rat control have helped. But, outbreaks in rural areas are a sign of ongoing danger.

Though we’ve made strides against plague, it’s still a serious threat. Past pandemics remind us to keep up research and be ready. This helps us combat the disease and protect people’s health.

Salmonellosis: A Common Bacterial Infection

Salmonella is a well-known bacterial infection. It can be especially harmful to young children, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems. This bacteria normally lives in the gut of rodents like mice and rats. So, touching their waste or eating food they’ve contaminated can make you sick.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that in the U.S., Salmonella leads to about 1.35 million illnesses each year. Among these, 26,500 people need hospital care and 420 die. Signs of the illness include chills, fever, stomach pain, sickness, and diarrhea. They usually show up between 6 hours and 6 days after you’ve been exposed to the bacteria.

Those under 5 years old, babies not breastfed, and adults over 65 face the highest risk. Also, anyone with a weak immune system because of health issues might suffer more severe symptoms from the infection.

Most people get better from a Salmonella infection without needing antibiotics. But for some, a condition called reactive arthritis can develop. Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella is also becoming more common. This makes treating the infection harder in severe cases.

Preventing Salmonellosis

To keep Salmonella at bay, it’s crucial to handle food safely. This includes making sure:

• Meat and eggs are cooked through properly
• Fruits and vegetables are washed well
• Hands are washed before and after preparing food

Remember, you can also catch Salmonella from sick animals, like rodents and pet reptiles. By being careful and aware, you can lower your chances of getting this infection.

Rat Bite Fever: Beyond Just Bites

Rat bite fever is a serious bacterial illness. It can come from rodent bites, handling infected rodents, or eating contaminated food or water. The sickness is caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis or Spirillum minus. It can cause severe and life-threatening symptoms if you don’t get medical help fast enough.

Symptoms and Treatment Options

If you have rat bite fever, you might get a fever, itch on your skin, have headaches, or throw up. Sometimes, it can even hurt your joints a lot. Getting help quickly is very important because this sickness can get bad fast.

A study by Anderson and Marrie in 1987 talked about how bad septic arthritis from this sickness can be. Then, in 2005, Andre et al. showed how a child was diagnosed using PCR, a new diagnostic method. This shows how much our ability to diagnose and treat rat bite fever has improved.

To treat rat bite fever, doctors usually give antibiotics like penicillin or doxycycline. But if the case is very serious, you might need to go to the hospital for stronger antibiotics. The CDC reported deaths from this sickness in Florida and Washington in 2005, so it’s really important to not wait if you think you have it.

Having a correct diagnosis is key to treating this sickness well. In 2001, Berger et al. talked about using a special kind of test, PCR, to diagnose rat-bite fever. This showed how new methods are helping us keep an eye on and treat the sickness better. And in 2002, Boot et al. talked about another PCR method to find the sickness, which helps in labs.

Remember, rat bite fever doesn’t just come from rodent bites. You can also get it from touching infected rodents or eating/drinking contaminated things. As Cole et al.’s 1969 review mentioned, people still get sick from rat-bite fever today. So, it’s important to be careful around rodents to avoid this sickness.

Tularemia: A Potentially Life-Threatening Illness

Tularemia is a severe bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis. It’s mostly in wild animals like rodents, rabbits, and hares. If someone gets bitten by an infected tick or deer fly, or touches an infected animal, they can get tularemia. However, it’s usually treatable with antibiotics if diagnosed early.

This disease often starts with a high fever. You might also feel chills, headaches, and tiredness. If you have tularemia, your muscles could hurt and your lymph nodes might swell up. How you got the infection can affect your symptoms. For example, you might see skin ulcers or just have swollen lymph nodes.

Tularemia has become more common in Europe in recent years. In the U.S., 100-200 cases are reported yearly, mostly in rural areas of some states. These happen because people spend a lot of time outdoors in those places, setting them up to get bitten by infected insects. Even though it’s not common, doctors are worried about it potentially being used as a weapon. So, they’re working hard to learn more and find better ways to prevent and treat it.

Getting diagnosed and starting treatment for tularemia quickly is very important. Doctors can use several tests to confirm it. Once confirmed, medicines like streptomycin or doxycycline are usually very successful. Continued research aims to find better ways to stop and manage this dangerous disease.

common diseases spread by rodents

Rodents can spread many diseases that are harmful to humans. These sicknesses include hantavirus, LCMV, plague, salmonellosis, rat bite fever, and tularemia. Knowing how these diseases are spread and how to prevent them is key to staying safe from very serious illnesses.

Direct contact with rodents or their waste, bites, or handling can spread sickness. They can also indirectly make people sick. This happens when they carry insects like ticks and fleas that can then infect people. Rodents breed quickly, making it easy for disease to spread.

Here are some of the dangerous illnesses rodents can carry:

• Hantavirus is a severe respiratory disease with a high death rate and no cure.
• LCMV is dangerous for pregnant women and their babies.
• Plague is a deadly infection spread by fleas, causing bubonic and pneumonic forms.
• Salmonellosis can cause food poisoning and stomach issues.
• Rat bite fever is life-threatening and can be spread by rat scratches or bites.
• Tularemia is a fatal illness passed by infected animals or their spots.

To keep these diseases at bay, it’s crucial to control rodents. This means keeping them out of your home, storing food and trash properly, and using traps for control. Knowing the risks and taking steps to prevent them is how you protect your family from these common but serious diseases spread by rodents.

Conclusion

Rodents can make people sick by spreading diseases. It’s important to know how these diseases are shared. By learning and using ways to prevent them, you can keep your family safe. Keep your living space free of rodents to help avoid health risks.

While the diseases rodents spread are worrisome, you can do something about it. Avoiding infestations and being clean lessens the chance of getting sick. Being aware and careful are key to staying healthy when these pests are around.

Understanding how to stop rodent diseases is important for everyone’s health. If we all work together, we can make the place we live safer and better for all.