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Staying healthy can be difficult, especially when temperatures drop and it gets cold. Not only do you have to worry about the flu, but also the common cold, which also spreads quickly. While we tend to focus on what viruses we might catch from our fellow humans, we are rarely warned about what diseases and infections we might get from rodents.
As food becomes scarce in winter and temperatures outside drop, rodents often enter homes through small openings to survive. When building nests and setting up new homes, rodents can become a major headache, causing serious damage to your property. Additionally, the accumulation of rodent feces puts homeowners at risk. Rodent feces can spread diseases and viruses, contaminate food, and cause allergic reactions in humans. Additionally, an infected rodent can indirectly transmit the disease to humans through ticks, ticks, or fleas.
Rat lungworm
In addition to rodents, rat lungworm can infect several different animals, including snails and slugs. Infected rats carry the adult form of the parasite and pass the parasite larvae in their feces, thereby infecting slugs and snails. Although snails and slugs are not a popular menu item for most people in the continental United States, several cases of rat lungworm have been reported in Hawaii, as well as in several countries around the world. People can also become infected if they accidentally eat part of the slug on raw food (lettuce, fruits and other vegetables) that has not been thoroughly washed.
People infected with rat lungworm usually show no symptoms at all. However, others may experience flu-like symptoms. Rat lungworm very rarely causes meningitis, which can be fatal. If you think you may be infected with the rat lungworm parasite, you should contact your healthcare provider and seek medical attention.
Hantavirus
The white-footed deer mouse is the primary carrier of hantavirus, a potentially life-threatening disease transmitted to humans through the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Although there are different ways that hantavirus can infect people, the virus is primarily transmitted when toxins are airborne and inhaled by people. Most people tend to become infected with hantavirus in areas that are actively infested with rodents. You can also become infected with the virus through the bite of an infected rodent.
After infection, symptoms of hantavirus usually develop within 1–5 weeks. Early symptoms may resemble the flu or a cold. People may also experience headaches, dizziness, chills, and stomach pain. If left untreated, hantavirus can progress, leading to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS. Early symptoms of HPS include fever, fatigue, and muscle pain in the hips, thighs, and back. Sometimes abdominal pain, vomiting and dizziness occur. Eventually, HPS will lead to respiratory distress and failure. Given the seriousness of hantavirus and HPS, it is critical to seek medical attention immediately if you believe you have been exposed to feces or fluids from infected rodents.
Plague
If you remember history class in high school or middle school, then you probably remember learning about the plague. If you remember, the plague wiped out most of the population of Europe in the Middle Ages. Although the last major outbreak of plague in the United States occurred back in the 1920s, human infection with the plague can still occur.
For the most part, fleas are carriers of plague. When an infected rodent dies from the plague, the infected fleas must find another food source. People and animals (particularly cats) in areas where rodents have recently died from plague are at greatest risk of developing bubonic plague or septicemic plague. Symptoms of bubonic plague include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes and body aches. Septicemic plague is much more serious because it causes septic shock caused by the virus entering the bloodstream. In addition, the development of pneumonic plague is possible. Pneumonic plague occurs when plague bacteria are inhaled through the lungs. Pneumonic plague is a concern because it can spread from person to person.
If you think you have contracted the plague, you should consult your doctor to prescribe antibiotic treatment.
Because rodents reproduce quickly, homeowners can get infestations on their hands relatively quickly. Prevention is by far the best way to protect yourself from infested rodents. If you suspect you have a pest infestation in your home, call your local Cockroach Free office today.
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