How Bad Is Rat Poop?
WouterIf you’ve noticed droppings in your home, you might be wondering “How bad is rat poop?” It’s easy to spot them because they’re a black color, about half an inch long, and often smell unpleasant. The droppings can be found in various places throughout your home, including your basement, attic, and walls’ baseboard. Rat and mouse droppings often contain grease or oil, and they can damage wood and other surfaces. They also leave behind gnaw marks and scratch marks on surfaces.
The droppings of rodents can also contain diseases and parasites. For example, rat-bite fever is an extremely nasty disease that kills 10% of the people who contract it. This disease is transmitted by a rat’s bite and by the feces they leave behind.
The best way to clean up rat droppings is to wet the floors and use a disinfectant. Use rubber gloves when cleaning the droppings and don’t use a vacuum cleaner. You can also wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. You can also use a mix of bleach and water to disinfect areas with rat droppings.
Rat droppings contain salmonella bacteria, which is associated with food poisoning. Infected people usually experience diarrhea and fever, but severe cases can even require hospitalization. Additionally, leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by rodent urine, can be life-threatening. Fortunately, most cases only result in minor symptoms, but one in 10 people infected can develop meningitis, liver failure, kidney damage, and even death.
