Do you also hear the sound of 'milk milk' or something scratching from the kitchen at night? When you wake up in the morning, do you find things like rice and sugar scattered on the floor, biscuit packets, bread crumbs, and other things eaten, making small holes? If so, it's as if an uninvited guest has arrived at your home. This guest is a rat. This little animal is not only a nuisance, but can also pose certain risks to our health. So today, let's talk about this in more detail.
What is the danger to our health from rats?
Rats do not usually attack people directly. However, when they settle in a house, the damage they cause is not insignificant. They gnaw and destroy household items, clothing, and furniture. What is even more dangerous is that they can chew on electrical wires and even cause fires in houses. But the biggest thing we need to be concerned about is that
rats are disease carriers . Various germs can enter our environment through their urine, feces, and saliva. These are the ways in which we are more likely to contract diseases:
- By biting you (this happens very rarely).
- By bringing other animals into the house, such as fleas and ticks.
- By contaminating your food, drink, and water with their feces and urine .
- The dust is polluted by their waste, and we breathe that dust in.
Simply put, having a mouse in your home is like having a disease , so it's important to be aware of this.
| Main diseases that can be transmitted by rats | A brief introduction |
|---|
| Hantavirus | A viral disease that can be transmitted, sometimes even life-threatening, by inhaling dust contaminated with rat feces and urine. |
| Leptospirosis - rat fever | A very common disease in our country. A bacterial infection that is transmitted by ingesting water or soil contaminated with rat urine through skin wounds. |
| Lymphocytic choriomeningitis | A viral infection transmitted by rats. It can affect the brain and nervous system. |
| Plague | A bacterial infection transmitted by fleas that live on rats, which has caused severe epidemics in history, is now very rare. |
Do rats get rabies?
This is a problem that many people have. In fact, it is very rare for rats to transmit rabies. And there are almost no reports of rats transmitting rabies to humans. But if you have any doubts
, see a doctor immediately. Do rats chew on people?
Rats are very shy animals. They always try to hide from people. So they won't just come and bite you. But if you try to touch them, and they feel threatened, they may bite in self-defense.
Do you have mice in your house? Identify them by these signs
If you have a mouse or two in your home, it could be the start of a big problem. Because mice breed very quickly. If you pay attention to the following signs, you too can find out if you have mice in your home.
| Sign | How do you recognize this? |
|---|
| Bee Betty | These are small, black, rice-grain-shaped objects. You can see them in kitchen cupboards, on shelves, and along walls. |
| Bite marks | Check for small scratches or chew marks on items like food boxes, soap bars, books, and wires. |
| Footprints | In dusty areas, look for small footprints on the ground. |
| A strange smell | Where rats live, their urine can give off a strong, strange odor. The smell from a dead rat is even worse. |
| Runways | The rats always follow the same path. Along the walls, you can see a black path covered in dirt and oil. |
| Seeing a mouse with your own eyes | Mice usually come out at night, when there is no noise. But if you see a mouse running around while you are there, it could be a sign that there are more mice in the house. |
What do you do if a rat bites you or licks your body?
This is very important. If a rat accidentally bites you,
immediately wash your hands with soap and water. If it gets on your clothes, wash them in hot water without mixing them with other clothes. If a rat accidentally bites you, do the following without panicking:
- First, wash the bite area thoroughly with soap and lukewarm water.
- Dry the wound with a clean cloth, apply antibiotic ointment , and cover with a clean bandage.
- Most importantly: See your doctor immediately. You may need a tetanus shot or oral antibiotics.
- Watch for signs of infection (e.g., redness , swelling, excessive pain, warmth around the wound) until the wound heals. If you notice any of these, tell your doctor again.
How to protect your home from these rats?
The best way to get rid of rats is to eliminate their access to the house and the environment in which they live.
- Seal the entrances to your home: Seal any small holes or gaps in the walls with cement or other suitable material. Seal gaps around water pipes and wires. Install door sweeps in the gaps under doors.
- Keep food safe: Store food, especially rice, sugar, and flour, in tightly sealed containers. Do not leave leftover food on the table overnight.
- Keep your home clean: Take out the trash daily. Keep your yard and garden clean as well as your home. Don't pile up things that rats can hide in, like old boxes and newspapers.
- Traps and control methods:
- Humane traps: There are types of traps that can catch the rat without killing it and set it away from the house. If you use these, you should always check them, as the rat cannot stay in a small space for long.
- Glue boards and pesticide baits: We do not recommend these two methods. If the animal gets stuck in glue traps, it will suffer greatly and die. Poison baits are very dangerous for small children in the house and pets like dogs and cats. Also, if a rat dies after eating poison, such as inside a wall, it will rot and emit an unbearable smell and attract other insects.
If you are having difficulty controlling rats, it is best to seek the help of a professional pest control company.
Take-Home Message
- Rats are not just a nuisance that destroys household goods, but also a health threat that spreads dangerous diseases such as Leptospirosis and Hantavirus .
- The best way to protect yourself from rats is to close any gaps that allow them to enter your home, cover food and drink well, and keep your home clean.
- If a rat bites you, don't take it lightly. Wash the wound thoroughly and see a doctor immediately.
- If you use methods such as poison bait or gum traps to control rats, think twice about the safety of small children and pets in the house.
- If there are signs of mice in your home, take action immediately, as they breed very quickly.
Rats, Rat Fever, Leptospirosis, Hantavirus, Rats, House Rats, Rat Control, Health Risks
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