Rodents can be more than a nuisance in your home. They come uninvited into your home to wreak havoc on everything they can chew on. These pests don’t just destroy your things, they put everyone in your household at risk of being ill with rodent-borne diseases too.
Read: 5 Reasons Why You Have Rodents At Home
Without pest control in your Singapore home, rodents are left to wander around and spread serious diseases to humans. Thus, you must know the ways you can acquire rodent-borne diseases and prevent them from endangering you and your family.
How are diseases spread by rats to humans?
Below are the many ways that people can get sick from rodents.
- You can get diseases caused by rat droppings, urine, and saliva contact.
- Rodent bites can inject the virus and bacteria into your bloodstream.
- Direct handling of rodents can cause germs to enter the skin or mucous membranes.
- Indirect spread through bites of ticks, mites, and fleas that have fed on contaminated rodents.
What are the deadly rodent-borne diseases to watch out for?
Rats or rodents can transmit more than 35 diseases to humans. However, constant exposure to house rats can make you at risk for severe diseases that can be fatal to human life. Here are three serious diseases that can cost money and life if rodent control is not implemented immediately.
1. Leptospirosis
A disease that affects people and pets from all over the world, leptospirosis bacteria is transmitted through food and water tainted with urine by infected rodents. The urine and droppings of infected rats are so potent that mere contact with contaminated water and soil can get you infected.
Leptospirosis when not treated can lead to liver failure, kidney damage, respiratory distress, meningitis, and even death. Thus, you have to look out for rat diseases symptoms and seek treatment from health care professionals asap.
2. Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM)
A house mouse is potentially dangerous like its wild counterparts. They can infect you with Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM) virus in three different ways:
- Direct contact with their droppings and urine.
- Inhale dust tainted with their fecal matters.
- Bite wounds.
The common house mice are the main host of LCMV. Infection can cause symptoms of encephalitis, meningitis, or meningoencephalitis. Although mortality is less than 1%, those who survive can have temporary or permanent neurological damage, arthritis, or nerve deafness. Pregnant women infected with LCMV can pass it on to their babies. As a result, they will be born with birth defects or can die in their mothers’ wombs.
3. Rat-Bite Fever
Rat-Bite Fever (RBF) occurs worldwide. It is spread by ingesting contaminated food or water, bite or scratch, and handling dead rodents. A person can get infected by two different bacteria: Streptobacillus moniliformis and Spirillum minus. The latter is common to countries in Asia like Singapore.
This disease is transmitted through the same means as the other previously discussed diseases. And it’s fatal like leptospirosis if not treated. Aside from developing Haverhill Fever, one can experience symptoms of hepatitis, pneumonia, and meningitis among others.
How to prevent infection from these serious diseases?
At the first sign of rats in your home, call for professional rodent control and disinfection service in Singapore. Don’t exterminate these pests all by yourself so you will not put yourself or anyone in your household in danger. Get a free quote or book an appointment at +65 6970 0205!
