Why Do Rats Carry Diseases?
WouterRats can be a huge threat to your home because they carry various types of bacteria and viruses, which can lead to infections in humans and pets. In fact, rats cause more human deaths than any other mammal. In addition to their ability to transmit disease, rats are prolific breeders, producing upwards of 15,000 offspring a year. Furthermore, rats are also known to harbor a variety of ectoparasites, including fleas and ticks. The presence of these parasites can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms, including coughing, sneezing, and even fever.
While the most common disease rats can carry is rabies, there are other diseases that can be transmitted to humans. One of these is typhoid fever, which affects about 27 million people yearly. While rats are not directly responsible for transmitting typhoid fever, they are often in contact with human faeces, which are found in sewer systems. Fortunately, there are many ways to protect yourself from the disease, including antibiotics and a vaccine.
Another disease that can be transmitted by rats is plague. The plague, also known as bubonic plague, is an incredibly dangerous disease. It has been linked to a number of historical epidemics, and has spread through ancient trade routes and into cities with large human populations. This disease is caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, which lives on rodents and fleas. In Russia, marmots are considered to be the main reservoir of plague bacteria, although other rodent species are known to carry it as well. In the western United States, plague bacteria has caused prairie dog colonies to collapse.
