Your Tulsa exterminator can help you eliminate mice and rats, which make up one of the most prevalent household pests. That makes diseases carried by mice and rats all the more important. These tiny creatures are known for chewing on your electrical wiring, getting access to the insides of your walls and attics, and even damaging the structural integrity of your home.
Aside from being a major nuisance, these little pests are dangerous and are capable of transmitting dangerous diseases to you and your pets. Protect yourself and your loved ones by calling a Tulsa exterminator today. Below is a list of the top seven diseases that reveal how important it is to utilize pest control services to keep your home rodent free.
SALMONELLA, THE PLAGUE AND RAT BITE FEVER
The first disease is salmonella. Since mice and rats have no control over their bowel movements or urination, they can easily contaminate your food or countertops with the salmonella bacteria. When you consume this bacteria, side effects may include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Typically, the infection takes up to a week to run its course through the body.
The plague may have ravaged England in the middle ages, but it can still effect us today. Yersinia pestis is the bacteria that causes the plague, and it is transmitted primarily by fleas that have been in contact with an infected rodent, or through contact with the infected animal’s bodily fluids. Symptoms of the plague include pneumonia, fever, weakness, painful lymph nodes, and skin and tissue that begins to turn black before eventually dying. Antibiotics are the treatment, and they work best when administered early on. But the best treatment is prevention by your Tulsa exterminator.
Should you spot a rodent and attempt to catch it on your own, you run the risk of getting scratched or bit. If that rodent happened to carry the Streptobacillus moniliformis bacteria, you might come down with rat-bite fever. This illness leaves patients with muscles weakness, achy joints, a headache, fever, and sometimes a rash. Strong antibiotics are needed to treat this disease, and without them, the disease can be fatal.
LEPROSY, LCV AND OTHER BACTERIA
Leptospirosis, or leprosy, is another disease spread by rodents. Caused by a bacteria, leptospirosis is transmitted when one comes into contact with an infected rodent’s urine. The symptoms of Leptospirosis are almost immediate. When leprosy does present itself, it shows up through jaundice, red eyes, diarrhea, fever, chills, muscle aches, and a rash. If they are not given antibiotics early on, a person may also experience kidney or liver failure. A good Tulsa exterminator can prevent this.
The common house mouse is responsible for transmitting the Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Initial symptoms leave a person feeling unwell and without an appetite. Muscle aches and headaches are also common, and if the virus doesn’t clear up after that, it is possible to develop meningitis or encephalitis. Corticosteroids and a drug called ribavirin are used to treat lymphocytic choriomeningitis.
Humans can become infected with the Francisella tularensis bacteria when they consume contaminated foods or handle an infected animal carcass. If infected, you may experience a high fever, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, cough, chest pains, and difficulty breathing. A 10 to 21-day course of antibiotics is needed to recover from tularemia. Again, call your Tulsa exterminator to prevent this.
There are two ways you can contract the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. You can come into contact with rodent urine or droppings, or you can breathe in the dust that is contaminated with infected rodent urine or droppings. Since this syndrome has no known cure and a 38 percent mortality rate, it is important to seek medical attention immediately if you begin to show symptoms. These signs include dizziness, abdominal pain, muscle aches, fatigue, coughing, and shortness of breath.
While it’s not a disease, rats and other rodents love to gnaw at electrical wires and are one of the most common sources of house and condo fires in America and throughout the world. Your Tulsa exterminator can prevent this as well.
Diseases carried by mice and rats can be avoided. If you notice any evidence of a rodent infestation, contact TermMax Pest Control and get a free estimate. Aside from exterminating rodents, we can rid your home of termites, bed bugs, cockroaches and other pests.