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4 Diseases Caused by Rodent Droppings
The NPMA recently posted an article on their website that explained the dangers that rodents can cause to your home and your health. We often talk in our blogs about the unsanitary conditions and the property damage that a rodent infestation can lead to but we rarely discuss the health risks that are involved.
Rodents, such as mice and rats, can leave droppings that can spread bacteria, contaminate food, and cause allergic reactions. Droppings can also spread diseases and viruses such as the following:
- Hantavirus – “Hantavirus is a potentially life-threatening disease transmitted to humans by rodents—primarily, the white-footed deer mouse. People become infected through exposure or inhalation of infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva, and the chances increase when people are near spaces where rodents are actively living.”
- Bubonic plague – “…is usually spread by the bite of an infected rodent flea and can cause fever, headache and painfully swollen lymph nodes.”
- Salmonellosis – Salmonellosis is a type of food poisoning spread by rodent feces, especially through the consumption of contaminated food. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain.”
- Rat-Bite Fever – “Rat-bite fever (RBF) is a potentially fatal infectious disease spread by infected rodents or the consumption of food contaminated by rodents.”
To read the full article or get more information on the diseases above click HERE.
Please don’t take chances with the health of you or your loved ones. If you have rodents in your home, call a licensed exterminator, Northwest Exterminating, to get rid of the rodents in your home.
Source: http://www.pestworld.org/news-and-views/pest-articles/articles/health-threats-posed-by-rodents/
I’ve heard that rodent infestations are kind of common in this area that I’m moving to for the summer. I’m a little scared especially after learning about the four diseases caused by rodent droppings. I think I’ll probably be putting pest control on speed dial. Hopefully, what I’ve heard isn’t true but I think it’s better to be safe than sorry.
I have been cleaning my shed for the last two weeks. There are several nests, most boxes with mice urine and feces. I wear vinyl gloves and have been wearing a surgical mask. Most boxes are filled with collected items through the years.
After reading the dangers of these dropping, I am now worried that I am not taking enough precautions. I need to go through the items, and salvage what is important, and disposing of items that are stained or totally ruined by the mice. Please help me with any suggestions to keep myself safe and still be able to salvage some antique and memorable possessions.
Thank you.
I WAS WORKING ON A HOME LOADED WITH MOUSE NESTS ALL IN THE WAS .THEN A WEEK LATER I FELL ILL FOR 14 DAYS .BUT NOT LUNG INFECTION YET SHOULD I WORRIE ITS DAY 17
ANYONE
Was cleaning a storage shed, in it for hours, very hot and mouse droppings every where. About 3 hours after the exposure became ill, cough, congestion, fever and sore throat. Have been ill for 4 days now, no fever now. I assumed it was just a cold, could it be more?
6 days ago, I found mouse droppings behind my kitchen trash can. I imediately grabbed bleach diluted with water and old rags to clean my home, particularly the kitchen. I spent 7 hours in the kitchen alone. They had carried pieces of chips and crackers into low dark corners and started to build a nest behind my stove. I also found droppings in bedroom corners. My stove drawer has not reentered the house yet because that was the favored mouse bathroom. I just cannot bring myself to reassemble it. Oddly, my finished basement (which has an unused kitchen) had far less droppings. There’s no food down there, just potential bedding material and I have yet to find a nest.
I’m not a dirty person. I regularly clean and declutter my home. I’m guessing yard work and rain have brought the mice in. I should’ve wore gloves, but I didn’t. I was left entirely by myself to clean over 2100 sqft of space and I just wanted it done ASAP. An inspector in my area and for my home size costs $375+ and I cannot afford that. It sounds stupid. She should’ve wore gloves and $375 is cheaper than dying. I know!
6 days since I started and 2 days since I stopped cleaning, I have massive abdominal pain and diarrhea. I don’t know if it’s from the weather changes, my poor diet, anxiety, exhaustion, or a mouse-related illness. If I get a fever or headaches, I’ll go to the doctor. Anytime I check for symptoms of mouse droppings, I see HPS, which I don’t think I have. I would really appreciate a link for symptoms to watch for after cleaning the droppings. It’s a little too late for me to read safety measures. Now what?
Get a few pussycats
It really opened my eyes when you explained that the bubonic plague is caused by the flea of an infected mouse and cause wreak havoc in the body of whoever it will bite. I have heard from somewhere that the bubonic plague can still be contracted by humans today. That is the reason why I am not taking any chances and will have the mice I found in the basement extracted as soon as I can.
I work as a cashier at a local grocery store. We’ve seen mice running around and there are mice droppings in several places, including the drawers at our registers. Myself and 2 other cashiers have had breast cancer, 1 courtesy clerk had ovarian cancer, another courtesy clerk has cancer of the blood, a man from produce has pancreatic cancer, and a cashier’s husband had prostate cancer. I’m just wondering if any of theses cancers can be brought on by the mice droppings?? It just seems like too much of a coincident that so many of us have had cancer.
I cleaned my grandparent’s abandoned house for about 30 minutes without a mask yesterday. Stirred up dirt, was filled with rat feces.. Today my chest feels a little painful to breath, cough, mild sore throat, a little icky feeling. Is it too early to think it is hantavirus since that should be four days after contact?