Are rats & mice dirty?
Do rats & mice carry diseases?
What damage can rats & mice cause?
Can I be harmed by rat & mice droppings?
In this instance we are talking rodents and unless you have one as a pet there is a pretty good chance you don’t like them! The 3 D’s refer to the dirtiness of the rodents, the diseases they carry & the damage they cause.
Ever since The Black Death the fear of diseases spread by rodent is worldwide and well known. Any rodent problem should be not taken with a pinch of salt and no matter how clean your house is the threat of a rodent infestation is great.
Were you aware that it is not just the rodent themselves that carry diseases but their droppings can be just as dangerous if you have physical contact with them.
In this blog entry we are going to focus on diseases that are spread by rodents, their droppings and how to protect yourself, your family & your pets.
Diseases spread by rodents
This blog entry is not being used as a scare tactic, we are not over exaggerating the need to be careful but we believe the first step in any pest control infestation is being aware of the risks.
There are several diseases which can be transmitted via rodents.
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
- Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
- Lassa Fever
- Leptospirosis
- Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM)
- Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever
- Plague
- Rat-Bite Fever
- Salmonellosis
- South American Arenaviruses
- Tularemia
Many of the above diseases that we have mentioned do not occur here in Australia however as we are such a multicultural country, many of our citizens do travel overseas where these diseases can be a problem. Again I will say, knowledge is the best weapon, be aware, because it just may save your life or that of your loved ones.
Diseases Spread By Droppings
When it comes to droppings ensure you remove the droppings as soon as possible using gloves and discard of any materials used to collect, bag the droppings in a zip lock bag and dispose of immediately as there is a risk that diseases can be spread when dust in your home is contaminated by a rodent’s urine or droppings. We all know dust flies, the last thing anyone would want is urine or faecal contaminated dust air borne throughout your house.
The diseases that are of concern when it comes to rodent droppings are:
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
- Leptospirosis
- Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis
- Rat-Bite Fever
- Salmonellosis
- Tularemia
How To Protect Yourself
When it comes to rodents and the problems they cause, disease is one you really do not want to ignore. The tool to any rodent infestation is to be safe and responsible. If you do have a rodent infestation and need to clean up their droppings, air out the room and use a face mask. This will prevent you from breathing in any air borne illnesses associated with rodent droppings.
If you are really concerned it is an idea to bring in a professional cleaner to do the job for you and Sydney’s Best pest Control can recommend general cleaners as well as roof cleaners to get the job done first time correctly.
We do recommend if you have a current rodent infestation, have it treated by pest control professionals first, wait until you stop seeing activity or hearing noises then get to the process of cleaning up the droppings and sealing up any entrance points.
For all rodent pest control inquiries simply call us on 1800 819 189 or email us using our easy contact us form.
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