Damage & Disease Caused by a Mouse Infestation

Having a mouse infestation in your home is a huge nuisance, but it can also be quite dangerous. First of all, mice can spread sickness. They can also cause damage to your home.

In short, sharing your home with mice creates a hazardous environment. Read on to learn the risks to your physical health and safety when you have a mice infestation.

Diseases Caused by Mice

There are a number of direct and indirect diseases carried by rodents that can spread to you and your family, including:

• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS): This is a viral respiratory disease that can be fatal. It is spread by inhaling dust particles contaminated with rodent urine and droppings, coming into direct contact with urine and droppings, or getting bitten by a rodent. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and shortness of breath.
• Leptospirosis: This bacterial disease is contracted by consuming urine-contaminated food or water. It can also be contracted through the skin or inside the nose by urine-contaminated water and soil. Infection can lead to kidney disease and failure, respiratory illness, meningitis, and death.
• Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM): LCM is contracted the same way as HPS. It’s a viral infectious disease that causes neurological damage. Symptoms range from fever and sore throat to brain inflammation, and patients often require hospitalization.
• Lyme Disease: We often think of ticks spreading lyme disease, but rodents who are infected can spread it as well. You and your family are at risk if you sustain a rodent bite. It can start with a fever and headache and lead to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
• Salmonellosis: This bacterial infection is spread through rodent urine and feces. It can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

How Do Mice Spread Diseases?

Mice gather in cool, dark places like sewers and drains. Being around all that waste means they are in contact with many types of bacteria. They carry that bacteria and can contaminate any surface they come in contact with.

Mice also urinate and defecate frequently, and disease can be spread through their waste. If you have a mouse infestation, you’ll find droppings and urine in various parts of your home, increasing the risk of contamination.

Other ways to contract a disease are if a mouse bites you or if you touch an infected mouse. You can also become infected by consuming food and drink that’s been in contact with a mouse.

How Mice Can Damage Your Home

While they may be small, mice can make a big mess inside your living space. They shred things in your home like furniture, fabric and cardboard to make their nests. These nests are stored in your attic, crawl spaces and other hidden places, allowing mice to breed and multiply.

Mice also gnaw on hard objects. Corners of your home, baseboards and hard plastic will have damaging bite marks. Most dangerous of all, mice can chew through electrical cords, which can create a fire hazard in your home.

Keep Your Home Safe From a Mouse Infestation With All Pest Control

The smallest contact with mice can lead to disease, so it’s important to get on top of it as quickly as possible. Instead of risking your safety, let a professional handle it for you. At All Pest Control, we have environmentally sensitive extermination methods to keep you and your family safe.

Call us at (503) 968-5950 and get a free estimate today.