Roof rats can spread diseases without even being in a room with people. Unfortunately, the urine and feces they leave behind are also transmitters of their nasty diseases. The other way they spread the diseases they carry is by biting people. Whether you’ve been bitten or exposed to a roof rat’s feces there are things to be aware of; such as how serious it is, what your symptoms will be, how to treat it, and if you need to go to a doctor. To protect yourself and your family be aware of the diseases. Here is a list of the most common diseases roof rats carry:
- Bubonic plague: a skin infection that can be treated with antibiotics see a doctor right away, symptoms are red marks on skin that turn black, heaving breathing, aching, and throwing up blood. The Bubonic plague, or Black Death as it was called in the middle ages, wiped out a significant portion of Europe’s population.
- Rat bite fever: most frequent in Asia, rat bite fever can take up to two weeks before symptoms develop like fevers and inflammation, penicillin is used for treatment.
- Arena virus: transmitted through the air where feces and urine are, causes flu like symptoms but can turn into internal bleeding. If exposed see a doctor immediately.
- Eosinophilic meningitis: this disease is also known as rat lungworm, it can also be transmitted through eating uncooked food like fish, snails, frogs, or freshwater prawns. Another way it can be transmitted is through contaminated foods such as lettuce. The symptoms are headache, neck pain, and vision problems. It is treatable, but you should see a doctor right away.
- Hanta virus: airborne virus, symptoms do not occur very quickly once they happen, they are similar to the flu and last about a week. If still sick heavy breathing can occur and you should be taken to a hospital because it can be fatal.
- Weil’s disease: transmitted through rat urine, it is often on contaminated food that people end up eating, shows flu like symptoms but can also cause jaundice and throwing up, is best to see a doctor right away.
- Typhoid: transmitted through feces and urine either airborne or from something contaminated, people will get high fevers, sweat profusely, diarrhea and rash of red spots. Treated with antibiotics, so see a doctor.
- Trichinosis: carried by rats, but they get it from pigs, it is a worm that can get inside of your intestines. Nausea, diarrhea, heartburn. Headache and chills are some of the symptoms best to go to a doctor right away.
- Murine Typhus: can be transmitted from the lice that live on rats, this is treatable with antibiotics and the symptoms resemble those of the measles or rubella.
[...] The roof rat is also known as the black rat, the rodent was called the black rat mostly in the Middle Ages. The rat’s name is also a reminder of the plague or Black Death, which the species was the initial carrier of the plague. Still to this day the roof rat still carries just as harmful diseases on its body. Also the roof rat can carry fleas, lice, bacteria, and parasites. The health implications are serious, and unlike spiders or scorpions they do not have to physically bite a person to infect them. Roof rat’s droppings that are often left behind, sometimes in gross high amounts, can cause a person to become ill. Not only are the rats carriers of diseases, what they leave behind can still have the potential to get a person sick. See how to handle this situation if it occurs by reading our blog on the diseases roof rats carry. [...]
Great. Thanks for typing this. Its always cool to see someone help out the public.
Awesome Post! I am so glad I stumbled onto this. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the info. I’ll definately visit again!