Key Takeaways:
- Lassa Fever is spread through contact with infected rodents, typically the multimammate mouse.
- Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread through contact with rodent-contaminated water or soil.
- Monkeypox is a viral disease spread through contact with infected monkeys or rodents.
- Lujo hemorrhagic fever is a viral disease spread through contact with infected rodents or their body fluids.
- The consequences of a rodent infestation can be very severe, and rodent control services can help prevent these infestations effectively.
Various diseases come from rodents (mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, and gerbils). These diseases include hantavirus, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), leptospirosis, and more. Three main ways these diseases can be transmitted are via rodent bites, contact with their urine or other bodily fluids, or inhalation of contaminated dust.
Professional rodent control services can inspect and determine how rodents get into your home. They will also give recommendations on how to prevent future infestations.
In addition, they will clean and disinfect areas where rodents have been active to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Let’s discuss the various diseases transmitted through rodents to give you a better idea about the necessity of rodent prevention.
Diseases Spread Directly from Rodents
Lassa Fever
This disease is spread through contact with infected rodents, typically the multimammate mouse. Symptoms of Lassa fever include fever, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, chest pain, vomiting, diarrhea, facial swelling, and bleeding from the gums or nose.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a severe respiratory illness caused by exposure to contaminated food, water, as well as rodent urine, or droppings.
The symptoms of HPS include fever and chills, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In extreme cases, it can lead to respiration problems.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread through contact with contaminated water or soil. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, chills, and vomiting. In some cases, the disease can cause kidney failure and meningitis.
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)
LCMV is a virus spread through contact with infected rodents or their urine. Symptoms of LCMV include fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea, and vomiting. In extreme cases, the disease leads to brain damage and, in rarer cases, even death.
Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever (OHF)
OHF is a viral disease spread through contact with infected rodents or their urine. Symptoms of OHF include fever, headache, muscle aches, and vomiting. In extreme cases, the disease leads to bleeding from the eyes, nose, and gums.
Rat-Bite Fever (RBF)
RBF is a bacterial disease spread through contact with infected rodents or their bites. Symptoms of RBF include fever, headache, muscle aches, and vomiting. In severe cases, the disease can lead to kidney damage.
Monkey Pox
Monkeypox is a viral disease spread through contact with infected monkeys or rodents. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and vomiting. In severe cases, the disease can lead to pneumonia.
Salmonellosis
Salmonellosis is spread through contact with infected rodents or their feces. Symptoms of salmonellosis include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In severe cases, the disease can lead to dehydration.
Lujo Hemorrhagic Fever
Lujo hemorrhagic fever is a viral disease spread through contact with infected rodents or their body fluids. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and vomiting, which can lead to organ failure.
To prevent these, it’s necessary to contact professional rodent control services to safeguard the health and well-being of your loved ones.
It’s also important to realize that rodent prevention methods performed by professional rodent control services include top-quality disinfectants and baits.
Diseases That Spread Indirectly from Rodents
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a malaria-like disease that is spread by ticks. Ticks become infected with the Babesiosis protozoan when they feed on the blood of an infected rodent. Humans can then be infected with Babesiosis through a tick bite. The most common symptom of Babesiosis is fever, but the disease can also lead to fatigue, headache, chills, and nausea.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is another tick-borne illness that rodents can indirectly transmit. It’s caused by bacteria that are present in some ticks. When an infected tick bites a human, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, and a distinctive skin rash called erythema migraines.
Lyme disease may be treated using antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can lead to severe complications such as arthritis and problems with the nervous system.
Tularemia
Tularemia is a bacterial disease transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals, including rodents. It can also be transmitted indirectly by ticks and fleas that have bitten an infected animal.
Symptoms of tularemia depend on how the infection was contracted but can include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain. In severe cases, tularemia can lead to pneumonia or inflammation of the heart. Tularemia can be treated with antibiotics, but prompt treatment is essential to prevent serious complications.
White Nile Virus
White Nile virus is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus is carried by several rodent species, including mice, rats, and squirrels.
Symptoms of the White Nile virus include fever, headache, muscle pain, and fatigue. In extreme cases, this virus can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord and the lining of the brain). There is no specific treatment for White Nile virus, which can be fatal in some cases.
Here are some DIY methods to keep mice out of your home.
How Do Professional Rodent Control Services Perform Rodent Prevention?
Professional rodent control services often remove food sources and nesting sites to prevent rodents from entering an area. They may also use bait, traps, and poisons to kill or capture rodents. In some cases, they may also provide vaccinations against diseases carried by rodents.
Besides the traditional methods, professional rodent control services follow exceptionally high standards when carrying out their work. This is because the consequences of a rodent infestation can be very severe, and professional rodent control services have the experience and expertise to prevent and control these infestations effectively.
Professional rodent control services abide by the cleanliness and chemical usage benchmark of the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) Best Management Practices for Rodent Control. It ensures that rodent control companies use the most effective and safest methods to prevent and control rodents.
Classic Pest Control Operators, Inc. provides pest and rodent prevention services in Azle, TX. We ensure your home is free from these harmful unwanted guests so your loved ones can enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Do you have a rodent problem? Book an appointment today!
