Top Diseases Spread by Pests
Pests in your home are not only annoying, but they can also have a negative impact on your family’s health. There are many different diseases that are spread by contact with pests, so it’s important to eradicate any infestations you may have of any of the pests on this list as soon as possible.
Rats
Rats can spread a multitude of different diseases including Weils disease, murine typhus, and rat-bite fever. These diseases are spread through contact with things like rat urine, saliva, and bites from the fleas that live on the backs of rats.
Mice
Contact with mouse saliva, urine, and feces as well as the parasitic mites that live on mice can cause Rickettsial Pox, Hanta virus, and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis. These diseases are spread by infected mice, both pests and pets. Studies have shown that approximately 5 percent of mice can transmit these diseases without ever showing symptoms of it themselves. LCMV Infections have been reported in Europe, North and South America, Australia and Japan.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are notorious for spreading deadly diseases. If you have a problem with them in your garden or other areas around your home, do what you can to ward them off, whether it be draining standing water, planting mosquito-repellant plants, or calling in professional exterminators. Mosquitoes can carry West Nile virus, malaria, Eastern Encephalitis, and many other illnesses that are transmitted through mosquito bites.
Flies
The common house fly, you may be surprised to learn, can actually spread a multitude of diseases like hepatitis, e. coli, tapeworm, staph, and salmonella through contact with food.
Fleas
Fleas can carry diseases like typhus, and bubonic plague. They can also be intermediary hosts for some types of tapeworm that can then infect humans. They can even spread heartworms to your family dog. Fleas are typically introduced to the home by pets, living on them as parasites. To prevent this, treat your pets regularly with flea medications and keep a close eye out for the first sign of an infestation.
Preventing Disease
To protect your family from these sicknesses, as well as the inconvenience of the pests themselves, make sure to treat any pest infestation promptly and thoroughly. Speak to a professional in your area who has expertise in dealing with the kind of pests you are experiencing in your home. Together, you will be able to come up with a plan to remove the pests from your home and prevent them from coming back. The extermination experts should also be able to give you advice on ensuring a clean, safe environment after the infestation is gone and will let you know if it is necessary to seek alternative living arrangements while the problem is dealt with.