10 Health Risks Posed by Rats and Rodents

Rats and rodents can pose a serious health risk to you, your family, and your home.  Not only do they cause physical harm, but the diseases they harbor can be passed on to humans. Which is why we stress strict rodent control measures.

Below is a list of the 10 health risks that lack of rodent control can cause.

1. They can carry diseases like salmonella, typhus, leptospirosis, trench fever, listeriosis, hantavirus and other diseases that can make you sick or even kill you.

2. Their fleas can carry diseases as well, such as bubonic plague and typhus fever.

3. They can bite you, causing infections (if they have rabies) or just minor injuries that don’t heal properly.

4. They can cause allergies in people who are sensitive to their dander (dried skin flakes).

5. They chew on things like wood and plastic, which can cause pieces to break off into your food or water supply—and then you might accidentally eat it! 

6. Rats are capable of chewing through walls and insulation—this could lead to electrical fires in a home if they start chewing on wires while they’re inside.

7. They carry fleas that spread bubonic plague.

8. Their droppings contain bacteria that cause food poisoning and diarrhea.

9. Their urine can cause asthma attacks in people with allergies—and one study showed that cleaning up rodent droppings can increase the risk of asthma attacks in healthy people by 8%.

10. Rats can spread viruses like Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which killed four people in California in 1993 just by inhaling dust from rodent feces or urine!

11. Rats may be carriers of rabies or other diseases that humans cannot contract without bites from infected animals (like cats or dogs), but they can contract themselves and pass on to others.

Bottomline

Rats are disgusting creatures, and this is not just an opinion—it’s absolute truth. And if you don’t believe us, check out all the health problems they can cause. It’s a little surprising to us that we find rats and mice around our homes, but it never seems to shock people who hear about how dangerous these critters are to our health. If you love your family, make sure they stay far away from rats and rodents, because if they come into contact with them at all, chances are everyone will be miserable.

This is a collaborative post