Durham Wildlife Control: What Diseases Can Mice Spread?

Although many insects and animals can invade your property, mice are some of the most hazardous and destructive. The rodents reproduce five or six times a year, and their offspring can wreak havoc on your home, lower your property value and spread deadly diseases. At Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, we provide mice control in Durham and offer prevention solutions to keep your property rodent-free. A mice infestation is a health risk, and here are some of the diseases the creatures spread.

Diseases Spread by Mice

Although rodents are well-known for spreading the bubonic plague that wiped out over 1/3 of the European Continent’s population in the Middle Ages, mice and rats can spread numerous diseases that cause permanent injuries and sometimes death.

Salmonellosis

If mouse feces contaminate food or water in your home, you can contract salmonellosis. Salmonellosis is a food poisoning that often spreads through contaminated drinking water or water systems. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever. Although healthy adults may recover after a few weeks, salmonellosis can be deadly to older patients and those with compromised immune systems.

Hantavirus

Although it can be spread from a mouse bite, hantavirus typically infects humans when inhaled from rodent droppings, saliva or dried urine. The disease can cause abdominal pain, chills, fever, dizziness and muscle aches. The white-footed deer mouse is a common carrier of the disease and should not be allowed to make a home on your property.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

Although the disease is more common in Europe and Asia, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is spread by infected urine, feces and direct contact with mice or rats. North American cases of the disease are rare but can occur when rodents hitch a ride in transport crates or when they’re illegally imported from other countries. The yellow-necked field mouse and striped field mouse are common carriers. The symptoms of hemorrhagic fever include nausea, chills, fever and blurred vision.

Rat-Bite Fever

Although its name suggests rats are the primary culprit, rat-bite fever can be spread by mice and rats. The potentially deadly disease is transferred by handling infected mice, eating contaminated food or receiving scratches or bites from infected rodents. The streptobacillus moniliformis bacteria that causes rat-bite fever is predominant in North America, but a similar bacteria cause the disease in Asia. Symptoms including fever, muscle pain, headache, joint pain and rash.

Bubonic Plague

Although North America experiences very few (two to six cases) infections every year, the bubonic plague continues to occur in the Western United States. In the early 1990s, New Mexico had a small outbreak of plague spread by infected rodents. The highly contagious disease is transferred by the bites of infected fleas that were feeding on rodents. The symptoms of plague include swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache and chills. The disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics, but it can cause permanent damage if allowed to progress.

Leptospirosis

A fatal bacterial disease that often surfaces after a flood or hurricane is leptospirosis. The disease occurs when humans ingest food or water contaminated with rodent urine or feces or when their skin or mucous membranes contact soil or water carrying the bacteria. The disease can have a lengthy incubation period that does not show symptoms for several weeks. Lighter symptoms include fever, chills, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, but it can lead to meningitis, kidney failure, or liver failure if the infection progresses without treatment.

Trust the Professionals

Keeping rodents from contaminating your property is a vital task best handled by wildlife technicians. As previously discussed, a bite or scratch from a mouse can cause a life-altering disease. Handling rodents safely and humanely are primary operating procedures at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, and we’re confident we can resolve your rodent issues and prevent a future infestation. For effective mice control in Durham, contact us today!