Although mice are a part of the rodent family, they’re often not as despised as their cousins, rats. Even though they’re smaller and can be regarded as cuter, these creatures still carry lots of diseases along with them.
In this post, we’ll take you through all you need to know about a mice infestation and the diseases they carry.
The Diseases Mice Spread
There are quite a number of diseases that mice carry and can easily spread to you and your family members.
1. Bubonic Plague
This is a highly contagious plague and is well-known for killing millions of people during the Middle Ages. It often spreads from a bite of an infected rodent flea.
Some symptoms include swollen and painful lymph, head and body aches, fever and weakness. You are at risk of being infected with this plague when a mouse that’s infected bites or scratches you.
There are other risks involved, such as being in contact with a person with a pneumonic plague or being in contact with the bodily fluids of animals that have the plague.
2. Hantavirus
People catch the hantavirus primarily from rodents that are infected with it. They usually catch in by being in contact with the infected rodent’s saliva, urine, droppings, or any other bodily fluids.
According to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Canada reports three cases per year and although most people in Ontario are unlikely to contract it, those that are in contact with deer mice are most likely to contract it. A hantavirus infection can lead to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome(HPS), which can be a fatal respiratory disease.
3. Salmonellosis
This is one of the more popular infections on our list. This is a bacteria that commonly lives in and affects the intestines. Human beings usually get it from contaminated water or food. If a mouse has salmonellosis and goes into your pantry, they can contaminate the food with it.
Some common symptoms are diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. Elderly family members and young children are more at risk of contracting this disease.
4. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis
One of the more serious diseases on this list is Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis. It is rodent-borne and once you’ve contracted the disease, it puts you at risk of neurological issues, including meningitis and encephalitis. Humans contract this disease through exposure to an infected rodent’s urine, saliva, or feces and the worst part is that it’s commonly carried by house mice.
Perhaps one of the most frustrating things about mice is that they multiply very quickly. One moment, you just have a mouse or two hiding in your kitchen and the next, a whole family has made your house their home and they’re regularly going into your pantry, digging for food and contaminating it with any one of the above-listed diseases.
If you suspect that you have a mice infestation, your safest option is to contact mice control Cambridge to sort out the problem quickly and efficiently before you or any of your family members get unnecessarily sick.