When summer comes, mice may show up in people’s homes, which is not a good thing. Mice and rats are good at getting into our homes, but their appearance makes us worry about possible health risks. Even though mice may seem innocent, they can carry dangerous pathogens that can make people sick. In this piece, we’ll talk about the health risks of having mice in your home and the steps you can take to protect your health.
Mice Pose Health Risks
Mice are known to carry a number of diseases and pathogens that can be passed on to people through their droppings, pee, or saliva. Most of these health risks come from the microorganisms in mouse poop, which can cause a wide range of diseases.
Hantavirus: Hantavirus is a serious lung disease that can be spread to people by breathing in tiny bits of dried mouse poop, urine, or saliva. It can cause a disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which could be fatal.
Salmonella: Salmonella germs can be carried by mice and spread through their droppings, making surfaces and places where food is made unsafe. Salmonella in food can cause food poisoning, which can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever, among other symptoms.
Leptospirosis: The bacteria that causes leptospirosis lives in the urine of mice. Leptospirosis can be caused by touching contaminated water or surfaces. Symptoms can range from a mild flu-like sickness to kidney and liver failure.
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is an infection caused by a virus that can spread to people through mouse droppings, urine, or saliva. It can cause fever, headaches, and sickness, and in the worst cases, it can lead to meningitis.
Rat-Bite Fever: The bacteria that causes rat-bite fever is more often found in rats, but mice can also carry it. People can get this disease from bites or cuts. It causes flu-like symptoms and rashes on the skin.
Steps you can take to protect your health
Consider the following protective steps to reduce the health risks that mice in the house pose:
Proper sanitation: Keep your living space clean and healthy by regularly cleaning and disinfecting places where mice like to hang out, like kitchens, closets, and storage areas.
Seal Entry Points: Check the outside of your home carefully and seal any holes, gaps, or cracks that mice could use to get in.
Secure Food Storage: Keep all food in airtight cases to keep mice from getting food and to keep food from getting dirty.
Set Traps: If you think there are mice around, set traps in good places to catch any intruders and lower the number of mice.
Professional Pest Control: If mice keep coming back even after taking precautions, you should call a professional pest control service to get rid of the problem quickly and safely.
Personal Hygiene: Keep up with your personal hygiene by washing your hands often, especially after touching possible mouse nests.
Mice can bring diseases and germs into your home, which can be very bad for your health. If you get sick from mouse poop, urine, or spit, you might have hantavirus, salmonella, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, or rat-bite fever. To protect your health and well-being, it’s important to keep things clean, seal off entry spots, store food safely, and, if necessary, set traps.
If mice keep coming back, hire a professional pest control service to get rid of them safely and effectively. By taking precautions and keeping an eye out, homeowners can keep themselves and their families safe from health problems that could be caused by mice in the house.
