When rodents infest homes, they don’t just make a bunch of noise and chew on things they shouldn’t. Mice can actually spread diseases to the residents of the houses they move into. They do this in a few different ways, and there’s a higher chance the longer they go undetected or untreated. Here is how mice can spread disease inside your home:

Fecal Matter

The primary way mice and other rodents spread disease is through their urine and feces. They use their urine to mark territory, so there may be a lot of it around if you have an infestation. Their fecal matter doesn’t even have to be fresh to spread disease. Some diseases spread long after it dries up and works its way into the air. 

Parasites

Ticks often latch onto mice, carrying the diseases they spread along with them. Lyme disease and Colorado tick fever are a couple of the diseases spread this way. If there’s a large population of ticks in your area, you’ll want to keep this in mind when treating a mouse infestation.

Bites

Mice typically don’t bite, but when they do, it can cause rat-bite fever. This disease can be transferred by a direct bite, by touching a dead rodent with the infection or by consuming contaminated food. Even if they don’t spread this particular disease, mouse bites are never good news. Be sure to seek treatment if a mouse bites you.

Diseases They Spread

Rodents can pick up and spread all kinds of diseases to humans and other animals. These are a few of the most common:

• Hantavirus: When a mouse’s feces and urine dry, this virus that causes fever, chills, aches and pains can spread. In the long term, hantavirus can lead to kidney failure and intense shortness of breath.
• Salmonella: This disease can be caused by mice tracking their waste across countertops and other kitchen surfaces. Symptoms are fever, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea that grow worse over time.
• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV): This disease, commonly carried by house mice, can cause serious neurological problems in humans. It comes from waste, saliva and nesting materials.

Rodent infestations are never fun, and they can have serious consequences. If you have a mouse in your house, the Ankeny pest control pros at Pro-Staff can help. Give us a call at 515-279-7378 or contact us online to learn more.