Introduction
The easiest way to prevent rat diseases is to keep rats away from your home. Sometimes, this can be easier said than done, but it is important for your family and their health. Rats carry some very nasty diseases that can have deadly consequences for your loved ones. But, it may not be so easy to get the rats out of your house once they are there. Once you notice that you have the rats, you can almost guarantee that an infestation has already taken place, Rats multiply quickly and an infestation can happen in just a few short weeks. You want to be very careful about getting rid of them with rat poison as this can be harmful to children and pets. Following, you will find information about the diseases you can get and how to keep an infestation at bay.
History
One of the many rat diseases that you can get is Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS. You get this through the urine of rats, droppings and the saliva. You can also breathe in aerosolized virus from droppings that are dried and stirred up when swept. It is rare but HPS can be deadly. Of course, keeping rats away from your home is a sure way to keep your loved ones from getting this.
Murine Typhus is another disease that you can get. It is transmitted to humans by rat fleas. People in the harbor and ravine environments have more of a chance of catching this.
Rat Bite fever is a bacterial illness caused by streptobacillus moniliformis and can be acquired through a bite or scratch from a rat. It can also be from ingestion of food or water contaminated by rat feces.
Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium causes a typhoid disease. The disease is characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramping, vomiting and feeling sick. Symptoms can last up to 7 days. The elderly, people with weakened immune systems and the young could die from it if the disease is not treated with antibiotics.
Features
Here are some ways to keep rats away from your home to help you avoid rat diseases:
Rats like warmth, especially in the winter time. To help keep both rats and rat diseases away from your family, try to seal any cracks that you can. Go underneath all of your sink and any space between the pipes and wall, seal them with steel wool. Rats do not like the feel of the wool and will find another way into your home.
Rats love garbage. If you have garbage laying around your house, remove it as quickly as you can. Once rats are attracted by the garbage, they will try to find away into your home.
Keep food for animals in a steel can that you can lock if possible. Rats love to get into animal food. This is true if you live in the city or out in the country.
You might want to keep some outdoor cats around if you live in the country. Rats do not like cats and cats do not like rats.
Tips and Comments
Rats are very dirty and carry some nasty rat diseases with them. If you suspect you have an infestation, you might want to call in professional help to get rid of them so that your family is not having to worry about their health.
