Health Hazards Posed by Rodents
Names of infections transmitted by Rodent
Do you know that most people do not realize, that rodents can be much more than a nuisance? Rodents such as rats and mice are associated with a number of health risks. In fact, rats and mice are known to spread more than 35 diseases. These diseases can be spread to humans directly through the handling of live or dead rodents, contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, as well as rodent bites. Diseases carried by rodents can also be spread to humans indirectly through fleas, ticks, or mites that have fed on an infected rodent.
Rodent droppings can trigger allergies and transmit food borne illness such as salmonella. Furthermore, mice are capable of dropping up to 25,000 fecal pellets each year, an estimated 70 times each day. Therefore, prevention and prompt removal in case of a rodent infestation is key.
Protect your health – keep rats and mice under control
The diseases spread by rats and mice can also be transferred indirectly by ticks, fleas, and mites that live on infected rats.
The following are some of the Infections transmitted by rodents
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Rodent(s) involved: Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), Cotton rat (Sigmodon Hispidus), Rice rat (Oryzomys palustris), White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
Agent: Virus
Where the disease occurs
Throughout most of North and South America
How the disease spreads
- Breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent urine or droppings
- Direct contact with rodents or their urine and droppings
- Bite wounds, although this does not happen frequently.
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
Rodent(s) involved: Striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), brown or Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), yellow-necked field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis).
Agent: Virus
Where the disease occurs
Primarily in eastern Asia, Russia, Korea, Scandinavia, western Europe, and the Balkans
How the disease spreads
- Breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent urine or droppings
- Direct contact with rodents or their uring and droppings
- Bite wounds, although this does not happen frequently
- The disease may spread through direct contact from person to person, but it is extremely rare
Lassa Fever
Rodent(s) involved: Multi-mammate rat (Mastomys natalensis species complex)
Agent: Virus
Where the disease occurs
West Africa
How the disease spreads
- Breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent urine or droppings
- Direct contact with rodents or their urine and droppings
- Eating food that is contaminated with rodent urine or droppings
- Bite wounds, although this does not happen frequently
- The disease may spread through direct contact from person to person
Leptospirosis
Rodent(s) involved
Rodents and other animals
Agent: Bacteria
Where the disease occurs
Worldwide
How the disease spreads
- 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
Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM)
Rodent(s) involved
House mouse (Mus musculus)
Agent: Virus
Where the disease occurs
Worldwide
How the disease spreads
- Breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent urine or droppings
- Direct contact with rodents or their urine and droppings
- Bite wounds, although this does not happen frequently
Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever
Rodent(s) involved
Muskrats and possibly narrow-skulled voles
Agent: Virus
Where the disease occurs
Western Siberia
How the disease spreads
- Direct contact with infected animal
- Bite from an infected tick
Plague
Rodent(s) involved
Wild rodents, including rock squirrels, prarie dogs, wood rats, fox squirrels and other species of ground squirrels and chipmunks
Agent: Bacteria
Where the disease occurs
Western US, South America, Africa, Asia
How the disease spreads
- Bite of an infected flea
- Direct contact with an infected animal
Rat-Bite Fever
Rodent(s) involved
Rats and possibly mice
Agent: Bacteria
Where the disease occurs
Worldwide; Streptobacillus moniliformis in North America and Europe; Spirillum minue in Asia and Africa
How the disease spreads
- Bite or scratch wound from an infected rodent, or contact with a dead rodent
- Eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated by rat feces.
Salmonellosis
Rodent(s) involved
Rats and mice
Agent: Bacteria
Where the disease occurs
Worldwide
How the disease spreads
- Eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated by rat feces
South American Arenaviruses (Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, Sabiá-associated hemorrhagic fever, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever)
Rodent(s) involved
Cane rat (Zygodontomys brevicauda), drylands vesper mouse, (Calomys musculinus), large vesper mouse (Calomys callosus)
Agent: Virus
Where the disease occurs
South America: parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela and Brazil
How the disease spreads
- Breathing in dust that is contaminated with rodent urine or droppings
- Direct contact with rodents or their urine and droppings
- Bite wounds, although this does not happen frequently
- The disease may rarely spread through direct contact from person to person.
Tularemia
Rodent(s) involved
Wild rodents, including muskrats, ground squirrels and beavers
Agent: Bacteria
Where the disease occurs
Worldwide
How the disease spreads
- Handling infected animal carcasses
- Being bitten by an infected tick, deerfly or other insects
- Eating or drinking contaminated food or water
- Breathing in the bacteria, F. tularensis.
Rats can be discouraged and controlled simply by denying them food and shelter or engaging the equal to none professional services of JOPAG Health and Environmental Protection (JOPAG HEP).
