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Rat-borne Diseases

Considered responsible for the Black Plague during the Middle Ages, rats are still well-known carriers of over 70 diseases. From the transmission of bubonic plague to typhus and Hantavirus, rat infestations can prove harmful to human health.

One of the most dangerous rat-borne diseases is the bubonic plague and its variants. Transfer occurs when infested rats or rat fleas bite human beings. Symptoms include headache, weakness and coughing. Septicemic plague may result in bleeding into the skin and other organs. This fatal disease often kills within the same day that symptoms first appear.

Rat urine is responsible for the spread of leptospirosis, which can result in liver and kidney damage. Complications include renal and liver failure, as well as cardiovascular problems. Approximately half of the reported cases of leptospirosis are fatal.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, a viral infectious disease, is transmitted through the saliva and urine of rats. This disease results in fever, malaise, appetite loss, muscle aches, headache, nausea and vomiting. Victims may also experience inflammation of the central nervous system and can contract meningitis or encephalitis. Some individuals experience long-term effects of lymphocytic choriomeningitis, while others experience only temporary discomfort.

Rats are also known carriers of Hantavirus, a deadly renal syndrome that causes tachycardia and tachypnoea. Victims may be debilitated and can experience cardiovascular shock. Hantavirus is transmitted through rat urine and feces.

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