A Look at the Health Dangers of Rodents

A house infested by rodents, especially rats and mice, can expose your family to a risk of serious illness. Rodents carry as many as 25 infectious diseases. In their constant search for water and food, they travel through some of the dirtiest environments imaginable. If your home has become a shelter for rodents, you need the assistance of an experienced, qualified rodent exterminator in NYC.

 

Rodents Carry Hantavirus and Other Diseases

Rodents can transmit a multitude of potentially deadly diseases. Possibly the most serious is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which has caused more than 500 reported deaths in the last 25 years. Direct contact with a rodent is not necessary for HPS infection—inhalation of the feces and urine, or touching items contaminated by mice, can also lead to infection and possibly death. Children are more susceptible to this disease than adults. In addition, mice and rats carry tapeworms, ringworms, mites, and fleas. Deer mice are also often infected with the deer tick, which causes Lyme disease.

Dangers May Go Unnoticed

Generally, the first clue a homeowner has to the presence of rodents is by discovering their droppings. Often, however, these are not noticeable, especially if rats or mice have made their nests in outbuildings or garages. Rodents prefer nesting in warm places, so if they can then find a way into your home, they will take advantage of it. An experienced rodent exterminator will know how to look for rodent droppings and other signs of nests.

Rodents Reproduce Quickly

The average adult female mouse reproduces at a rate of about one litter of five or six baby mice every five or six weeks. Since offspring can begin reproducing at the age of six weeks, as long as food is available, a mouse population may grow to more than 100 within three months. These numbers illustrate how critical it is to address a potential mice or rat infestation as quickly as possible with the help of a professional exterminator.