Many people are rightly scared of rats. The pests will chew through property, contaminate food and surfaces, and disturb a good night’s sleep with their incessant scratching and squeaking.
Even worse, rats often carry potentially deadly diseases that could infect you and your family members, destroying the peaceful and healthy living environment in your home. Here are some of the deadly diseases that rats can pass on to you if they infiltrate your home.
Common Diseases Carried by Rats
Rats may be small creatures, but they can be a deadly nuisance to deal with if they infest your home. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) lists over 10 diseases that rats can directly transmit, and a whole lot more that they can indirectly transmit. Some of the most common diseases directly transmitted by rats include:
- The disease is transmitted to those who unknowingly eat food or drink water that has been contaminated with the urine of an infected rat. Sadly, the disease can be deadly. You can also catch Leptospirosis if your skin or mucous membranes come in contact with soil or water that has been contaminated with rat urine.
- Rat-Bite Fever. From food and paper to plastic and even clothes, rats will chew on practically anything to dull their teeth. However, a rat could even choose to bite you if it feels cornered or threatened. Not only does a rat bite hurt, but it can transmit a fatal disease known as rat-bite fever. The disease can be spread through a bite, scratch, or even through simple contact with a dead rat. You can also get infected by consuming food or water that a rat has soiled. This is a disease that has infected humans worldwide so take precaution when encountering a rat.
Other Diseases That Rats Carry
- Hantavirus
- Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
- Lassa Fever
- LCM
- Salmonellosis
Don’t wait until these deadly diseases infect your family and loved ones. By allowing rats to linger in your home, you give them time to nest, breed, and spread disease behind your ceilings and walls. At the first sign of a rat infestation, call the rat control professionals at Animal Wildlife Trappers to get rid of rats before the creatures take over your house and compromise your family’s safety.
Contact Rat Removal Experts to Stop the Spread of Disease
At Animal Wildlife Trappers, our team of licensed professionals have the experience and training to quickly, efficiently, and permanently remove rats from your home or commercial building. Call us today at 352-267-0546 for a free estimate, and take the first step to restoring your peace of mind.