*Diseases Caused by Rodents*

*-How They Spread Diseases*

Some of the major effects of rodent infestation are the diseases they cause to humans.

Rats don't just break into your home, eat your food, build a family and leave droppings- they also happen to be very successful at spreading diseases through their droppings, urine as well as parasites on their bodies as they tend to be second to none as vectors of diseases.

Rodents transmit diseases in two ways: Directly and indirectly.

Direct transmission happens when you accidentally touch infected urine or droppings of rodents.

The most common diseases transmitted directly by Rodents are:

1. *Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome*:

 A severe respiratory disease causing flu-like symptoms, dizziness, and stomach problems at first, then extreme shortness of breath.

2. *Leptospirosis*:

A bacterial disease causing flu-like symptoms, plus jaundice and red eyes.

3. *Plague*:

A disease causing rapid-onset of fever, chills, and weakness, in addition to necrotic tissues, swollen lymph nodes, or pneumonia, depending on the strain.

4. *Rat-bite Fever*;

A disease causing fever, vomiting, rash, headache, and body pain.

5. *Salmonellosis*;

 A bacterial infection causing diarrhea.

6. *Tularemia*; 

An illness causing fever and sometimes ulcers, inflammation, and chest pain.

Indirect transmission occurs when certain parasitic organisms such as ticks also bite and infect humans.

The diseases transmitted indirectly through Rodents include;

Babesiosis.

Lyme disease.

West Nile disease.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says Worldwide, Rodents are known to spread over 35 diseases to humans.

*How Do Rodents Spread These Diseases?*

Rodents pick up viruses the same way humans do- with their fingers and mouths.(Good thing we can wash our hands)

All the time they hang out at the dumpsters and gutters, they pick up germs and even eat them.

Rodents constantly urinate and defecate. When they enter your home, they don't stop. 

They urinate in your pans and pots, on your table and other unexpected places. 

Without suspecting, you touch them, inhale and more oft than not, consume the urine and faeces, getting those germs into your bodies.

It's very harmful to have Rodents around.