What Dangerous Diseases do Rats and Rodents Carry?

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You probably already know that rodents pose a significant threat. You’ve probably heard a lot of the statistics circulating about how many rodents can be found in both urban areas and the countryside. Do rat diseases pose a significant threat to you? Is it time to invest in some pest control services to make sure that rats don’t cause diseases to you, your family, or even your workforce if you run a commercial operation.

In this article, we’re exploring some of the dangerous rat diseases that can be passed on to humans and answering questions on what diseases do rats carry that may be harmful to humans.
Before we dive into the specifics, it is important to say that if you have any doubts whatsoever about rats, or suspicion that rats may be bringing diseases into your property, it is worth talking to pest control professionals and putting control measures in place. Rodents can cause a significant risk to humans and it simply isn’t worth taking any chances.
So, what diseases do rats carry that you should be worried about?

Tularemia

Tularemia is carried by rats, rodents and other small mammals such as hares and rabbits. The symptoms can include chest problems and difficulty breathing. It is a pneumonic plague and the bacteria can spread through your bloodstream. This can greatly damage your lungs and cause serious health problems.

This can be life-threatening if not treated and symptoms include a very high temperature and fever. It is usually treated with antibiotics and while most cases don’t cause loss of life it is a very serious disease.

Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a very serious condition that can kill. It has been found to spread through deer, mice, and rats. It can progress and cause HPS which stands for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. This can cause a loss of life.

Symptoms don’t usually kick in for over a week after you’ve been exposed to rodent dropping, urine or saliva. Symptoms include a fever, aching, dizziness and nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and more. This is a disease that is a living nightmare to experience. There’s no specific cure, but treatment can be offered and many people do make a full recovery.

Salmonella

Something you may associate with food preparation more than anything, salmonella infection can be spread by rats and other rodents. Though most people make a full recovery, salmonella is a horrible disease that can cause sickness, nausea, diarrhea, and fever.
Salmonella food poisoning can cause you to miss weeks of work and become very unwell. In extreme cases, you may be hospitalized due to side effects like dehydration. If you have a weak immune system, salmonella can kill. It is especially risky for young children and the elderly.

Plague

When you are asked what diseases do rats carry you may instantly think of the plague. It caused millions to perish historically and although we have antibiotics now, the plague is not confined to the history books forever, and people still suffer from it today.
There are different types of plague such as Septicemic, Bubonic and Pneumonic plague, all of which cause different sets of symptoms.

All of them can risk the loss of life and the plague can spread very quickly. Though it seems crazy to be worried about plague in modern times, it is definitely an issue if you live somewhere with a rat infestation and pest control services and rodent control are essential to make sure this kind of serious disease does not have another big outbreak.

Rat Bite Fever

Getting bitten by a rat that has any sort of infection can spread that same infection to your wound and cause pain and complications.
Rat-bite fever is sometimes referred to as RBF and, perhaps confusingly, it can also be caused by bites from other animals such as squirrels and mice, or even infected cats. It is most commonly caused by rats.

If you are bitten and experience a lot of redness and a rash with purple or red bumps then you could be suffering from RBF.
The outlook is usually not as serious as some other conditions but it will still need antibiotics to clear up and there can be a lot of swelling, redness, fand pus in the meantime, as well as other symptoms as your body tries to fight off the infection.

Dangers of Scorpion Stings

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Most of us know that scorpion stings are not something that is positive! However, we don’t know the specifics. How dangerous are scorpions? How can you get rid of scorpions in your area? Are you at risk of scorpions in the area you live in? What should you do if you get stung?
We’ve used our specialism in Las Vegas Pest Control (an area where scorpions pose a very real threat) to show you some of the dangers of scorpions stings, scorpion sting symptoms and even some of the information about treating the stings. This will help you to establish just how much of a risk scorpion are posing to you and your loved ones

Dangerous Scorpions in Nevada

Did you know that there are 25 species of scorpions in Nevada? There are plenty of scorpion stingers to watch out for if you live in Las Vegas or Nevada. Common species include the Bark Scorpion. These are a pretty small species but they can cause big problems if you happen to end up with one in your home. This scorpion stinger can cause you to become very unwell. They have the most dangerous venom out of any of the scorpions found in the area.

Emperor scorpions are pretty common in the area. They’re less of a threat to humans, similarly, the Desert Hairy Scorpion is not likely to cause you serious damage, but no scorpion stinger is pleasant. You’re better off getting rid of scorpions if you can.

scorpion stingerScorpion Stinger and Venom

Only 30 of the world’s 1500 species carry venom, but there are venomous scorpions in Las Vegas that you need to be wary of.
If you do get stung by a venomous scorpion such as the Bark Scorpion then some of the symptoms you may experience will cause you some serious issues, and you will start to experience nausea as well as other symptoms explained below. Though it is rare to die from a scorpion sting, it is not a risk worth taking.

Scorpion Sting Symptoms

Symptoms that pretty much every sting will cause include an intense level of pain, some swelling and some tingling in the area of the sting. Even a non-venomous scorpion can cause a huge amount of pain. However, there are some other symptoms that you may experience if you are suffering from venom entering your system.

Heart issues, palpitations, unusual breathing and shortness of breath can be very common symptoms if your body is struggling to fight off the venom. Sweating, nausea, vomiting and bodily twitching and thrashing can be experienced, too. The sort of symptoms you might experiment with having a high temperature or fever. Any of these symptoms should be treated as being very urgent and you need to seek medical assistance straight away if you are experiencing these. You should take absolutely no chances if you are stung by any scorpion in the Las Vegas area as some can be life-threatening.

Treating Scorpion Stings

As we’ve already discussed, the outlook is not too terrible if you do get stung, and it is rare that it will cause loss of life, but you do need to get treatment to make sure this is not the case. People have died from scorpion stings. Plus, the pain is extreme, so you should look to get treated ASAP.
Most of the treatment will revolve around antivenom. If the doctor treating you can’t be certain of which scorpion stung you, they may give you an antivenom as a precautionary measure.
Some people suffer allergic reactions to stings, in this case, the doctor or surgeon will approach the sting in a different way. If you are able to describe the scorpion, it is much more likely that you will be treated effectively.

How to Get Rid of Scorpions

Scorpions should be treated just like any other pest. They are much more common in Las Vegas than in other areas which means there is a lot of Scorpion Control in Las Vegas to ensure that you can keep your family safe from scorpion stings.

Using pest control services is the safest option for you and your family. You should opt for a company with a lot of experience working in the Nevada area, with experience in the 25 species of scorpions that can be found in the area. This is the best way to make sure you get the most effective control for your home and for the specific species that are causing a threat.
Scorpion stings are not something to take chances with. They can make you very unwell, and many people are allergic to the stings even if the scorpion in question isn’t venomous. The fact that Las Vegas has some very threatening scorpions means working with a pest control company to minimize risk is a sensible thing to do.