What Diseases Do Mice Carry?

Mice can reproduce quickly and take over a home nesting soft fibrous materials close to a food source. What some don't realize, is that they're not just an annoying nuisance to find in your kitchen or garage—they can carry a number of dangerous diseases that could harm you and your family. Here are some of those diseases and how you can avoid them.

Hantavirus

Hantavirus sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. In truth, its effects on the human body are just as horrifying. As far as most mice diseases go, this is one of the worst.

People are exposed to Hantavirus through an infected mouse's feces, urine and/or saliva. Exposure can be deadly, in many cases as you could die within two weeks of being exposed to the disease. It tends to cause the blood vessels in your lungs to leak and fill the lungs with blood. You may also have some severe gastrointestinal issues. While this virus initially seems like a bad case of the flu, it is far, far worse. Removal and careful disposal of all rodents from your home removes the likelihood that you would contract this potentially fatal virus.

Bubonic Plague

Some people laugh at the notion of "the plague" being a modern disease, especially since the Bubonic Plague occurred centuries ago. However, there have been recent pockets of Plague resurgence in Australia and the United States. Since it is fleas that harbor the disease and use rodents as hosts, you want to minimize your interaction with mice that could carry the disease. 

If your pets chase after the rodents and get too close, they too, can carry the plague fleas into your home. Make sure your pets remain flea-free. Be sure to regularly check for fleas, visit your veterinarian regularly, and safely minimize the risks.

Rat Bite Fever

The name of this illness is a little deceptive. You would think that the reference to rat bites means that you can only contract "rat bite fever" when rats bite you. However, if a mouse population gets out of control in your home, and there simply is not enough food to support all of the little rodents in your walls and running over floors at night, you may encounter a startled mouse and be bitten.

If you do get bit, you can contract rat bite fever from a mouse. The bacteria exists in the saliva of the mouse just as easily as it exists in rats. If a mouse carrying the bacteria doesn't bite you, but it does nibble the same food you later consume, you can still contract rat bite fever.

Salmonellosis

Typically associated with consuming raw and infected poultry eggs, you can get salmonellosis (or salmonella) consuming any contaminated food or water. You should also know that it isn't just poultry that carry the bacteria in their guts. It lives in rodents too. In terms of mice diseases, this one is probably the least physically unpleasant, but no less disgusting. In short, you accidentally consume food that came into contact with mouse feces.

Salmonella is the most commonly contracted disease connected with rodents and linked to food. Since a house mouse will frequent any cupboard or pantry with accessible food, you are constantly at risk. If you have mice, clean your cupboards often while wearing a respirator mask and gloves so that you don't touch feces. Any boxes of food that have been chewed open by rodents have to be thrown away. Then you can disinfect the cupboard and set up the traps to catch and humanely remove them.

The Goodnature A24 Rat & MouseTrap

The A24 trap is unique in that it uses tasty, toxin-free lures to coax a mouse into the trap. The trap detects the presence of the mouse, and quickly disposes of it lethally. Powered by CO2, each canister disposes of twenty-four rodents without having to reset the trap. 

The whole system is simple to use and non-toxic. It is safe around children and pets, too. It's one of the most unique mouse control systems on the market and provides you constant control over your mouse population. Keep your family safe from potentially deadly diseases with automatic mouse control and don't forget to wear protection whenever handling dispatched rodents.