have a rat or mouse in my house, i want to know if its leaving trails of disease behind
2006-06-30 03:10:08 · 6 answers · asked by Tia M 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
Short answer: Possibly to probably.
Long answer: Rats and mice carry (and transmit to humans) a variety of viral, bacterial and rikettsial diseases in the USA. This is not an exhaustive report on rodent borne diseases.
VIRAL DISEASES:
Rabies: - Worldwide: Infected animal must bite you.
Hanta virus: - Throughout most of the US. Rats and mice slough this virus in saliva, urine, and droppings. Virus becomes airborne (when you sweep up) and is inhaled. Leads to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, requiring hospitalization. leading occasionally to death. 33 cases in the USA in 1999.
Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM): - Worldwide. Rats and mice slough virus particles in saliva, urine, and droppings. Virus becomes airborne (when you sweep up) and is inhaled. Also through handling dead animals, and through bites.
BACTERIAL DISEASES
Bubonic plague: - Worldwide. Bacterial disease transmitted by rat fleas. 9 cases in the USA in 1999.
Rat Bite Fever: - Worldwide. Rats bite you.
Leptospirosis: - Worldwide. Rats and mice. Eating food or drinking water contaminated with urine from infected animals. Contact through the skin or mucous membranes (such as inside the nose) with water or soil that is contaminated with the urine from infected animals
Salmonellaosis - Worldwide. Urine and droppings on/about food prep surfaces leading to contamination of food and subsequent ingestion of salmonella. Unknown actual number of cases. However, this may be the major cause of food poisoning in USA in households where wild rodents reside.
Tularemia: - World-wide Handling infected animal carcasses Being bitten by an infected tick, deerfly or other insect Eating or drinking contaminated food or water Breathing in the bacteria, F. tularensis
RIKETTSIAL DISEASES
Murine Typhus - World-wide. Rats and mice. Transmitted to humans via rat fleas. More than 170 cases in USA in 1999.
In general, the standard of living for many Americans should preclude the necessity of living in rodent infested residences. Get rid of them! They also do damage to walls, insulation (occasionally resulting in fires) clothing, food, etc.
2006-06-30 04:36:42 · answer #1 · answered by Jimmy J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wild ones could carry disease as the like. We have domesticated rats for pets they are extremely clean they spend alot of time grooming and if they have the choice they even have a place for elimination in their cage.
2006-06-30 03:18:13 · answer #2 · answered by xx_muggles_xx 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Extremely...mice and rats carry Rabies for one...and they run through the dirtiest places imagineable...
mice are carriers of the hantavirus which kills 30% of all who contract it
2006-06-30 04:03:08 · answer #3 · answered by smitty031 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They certainly could be leaving disease behind---exterminate---a good female cat about a year old will eliminate the proble,--some tom cats will as well.
2006-07-02 16:38:08 · answer #4 · answered by Steven D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well...if you pick it up out of a sewer, then chances are that heck yes, they are.
However, if you pick them at Petco, then they are most likely very clean and healthy.
2006-06-30 03:40:41 · answer #5 · answered by nereid_queen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
could be.
2006-06-30 03:15:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋