Roof Rat Disease Statistics

Types of roof rat diseases.

Roof rat disease statistics.

These rats can also transmit rat bite fever through bacteria in their mouth. Rodent prevention control. The cotton rat sigmodon hispidus found in the southeastern us and down into central and south america has a bigger body than the deer mouse the head and body measure approximately 5 7 inches 12 5cm 18cm with another 3 4 inches 7 5cm 10cm for the tail. Hps was first recognized in 1993 and although rare hps is potentially deadly.

Trichinosis may be contracted through eating undercooked meat of animals that have fed on rats. Bubonic plague was a scourge in europe several times throughout history. These pests cause significant damage through their gnawing nesting and burrowing habits. Roof rats can be carriers of diseases.

Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases. During this time we have set live capture traps at over 300 homes from 35 zip codes and trapped nearly 200 rattus rattus roof rats and several desert wood rats. Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered. There are several diseases roof rats can transmit to humans.

Since it is hard to tell if a mouse or a rat carries a hantavirus it is best to avoid all wild mice and rats and to safely clean up any rodent urine droppings or nests in your home. The health district has been tracking complaints of rodents in urban areas since 2003. These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus. Their undersides are often white gray or black.

From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases. Historically infected fleas have transmitted serious plagues from rats to humans. Diseases caused by rats rat droppings rat urine and rat saliva. Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black.

Other rodents such as house mice roof rats and norway rats have never been known to give people hps. Diseases roof rats spread diseases like salmonellosis through pantry foods contaminated with their droppings. Rice rat or cotton rat carries a hantavirus. They can transmit these diseases through physical contact bites by contamination or by fleas that are feeding on the rodent.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome hps. This is a deadly disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine droppings or saliva. Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length. The black rat is black to light brown in colour with a lighter underside.

Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail. The black rat rattus rattus also known as ship rat roof rat or house rat is a common long tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus rattus in the subfamily murinae. It likely originated in the indian subcontinent but is now found worldwide. Rats contaminating food or food preparation surfaces can.

However roof rat diseases are the most serious concern for people and pets.