How Rats Spread Disease
WouterYou may be wondering how rats spread disease, but you may not know the details. There are many ways rats can infect you and spread disease, including through the food they eat and the places they live. Rats can also spread certain types of parasites, such as salmonella and plague. These diseases can be passed on to humans through their feces and urine.
There are over 35 different diseases spread by rats, according to the CDC. The most common are hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and plague. The former is a viral disease that can cause extreme shortness of breath and dizziness. Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that causes flu-like symptoms and jaundice, is another common rat disease. Other illnesses that can be spread by rats include plague and tularemia.
Salmonella bacteria is carried by rats, and they can infect humans and other animals through their bites and scratches. Symptoms of salmonella infection include fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Rats can also transmit rat-bite fever, which is a serious disease that may require antibiotics and vaccination. Infection with this bacterium can also be fatal. As a result, it is important to be wary of rats and other rodents in the house.
Another way rats spread disease is by being infected with parasites. Several different kinds of parasites are present in rats, and these can be transmitted to humans. Researchers are now studying how these parasites affect rats.
