Rodents like rats invade millions of US homes every winter and increase rapidly because they breed fast and a lot. The most common species of rats, Rattus Norvegicus, a brown rat are found all over the world except Antarctica. They originate from Norway but spread all around the world because of their amazing ability to swim and fit in places smaller than their size.
Now they are all over the world and a huge problem. The most problematic thing about them is that they live wherever there is food. They usually reside in urban areas, spreading diseases. People have come up with many ways to get rid of these rodents like rat poison, rat traps, rat blocker, etc.
Diseases Spread By Rats
Rats are very well known for the diseases they transmit. They have made millions of sick in many ways. The thing about rats is, even though they live in places where humans do, they don’t linger under people’s noses at their homes. They tend to hide from them, which sometimes makes it hard to tell if there even is a rat in the house. Unless, of course, there are obvious signs like chewing, food going missing, etc.
Rats spread diseases by their urine and defecation. They walk on counters and areas of the houses where food might be prepared, or they can just bite and the diseases spread. These are the most common diseases caused by rats.
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Salmonellosis
This is an infection spread by rat feces or urine. If any of those contaminates the food the body gets infected by salmonella bacteria. The symptoms are diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and chills.
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Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis
It is most commonly called a neurological disease and is transmitted through the saliva and urine of rats. Common symptoms are fever, headache, nausea, etc.
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Black Plague
Also called Bubonic plague, is transmitted when fleas present on rats bite humans. Main symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, headaches.
Inventions like rat poison, rat flap, rat traps, etc. have helped contain this rat problem to some extent, but many places still get infected with these diseases.
Besides the diseases, rats also damage furniture and a lot of household items by chewing on them. Their long teeth need to be kept in shape resulting in damage. Every year thousands of hotels, cafes, and restaurants shut down due to rat problems. Hygiene, locks, rat traps, and rat blocker seem to be the best way to handle these rodents.
