Rodent Diseases: Leptospirosis, Rat-Bite Fever and Hantavirus

Leptospirosis

The CDC says leptospirosis bacteria spread through the urine of infected animals, which can contaminate water or soil. People can get infected through contact with water or soil containing urine or other body fluids from infected animals.

The CDC notes risk is higher after hurricanes, heavy rain or flooding, when animal urine washes into floodwater, and with activities like swimming or paddling in rivers and creeks, gardening and yard cleanup. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, nausea, yellowing of the skin and eyes, and fatigue, and some people have no symptoms.

In Memphis, that means care after heavy rain and flooding, and gloves when cleaning areas where rats have been.

Rat-bite fever

The CDC says rat-bite fever can spread through scratches, bites, or contact with a rodent's saliva or urine, and through eating or drinking contaminated food. It does not spread from person to person.

Early symptoms can be like the flu: fever, vomiting, headache and muscle pain. About half of people get joint pain or swelling, and many develop a rash. Symptoms usually start 3 to 10 days after contact but can take up to 21 days. The CDC says antibiotics can cure it when treatment starts soon after you get sick, so tell your doctor about any rodent contact.

Hantavirus

The CDC says people get hantavirus from contact with rats and mice, through their urine, droppings and saliva, and that bites and scratches are a rare route. In the United States, the deer mouse spreads the most common hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Symptoms usually start 1 to 8 weeks after contact, beginning with fatigue, fever and muscle aches, and later coughing and shortness of breath. The CDC's cleanup guidance is built around not stirring up dust from droppings, which is why it says not to sweep or vacuum them.

What Shelby County lists

Shelby County's health FAQ says rats and mice are more than a nuisance and lists leptospirosis, plague, rat-bite fever and salmonella among the diseases they can carry. It lists signs of infestation as droppings and urine stains, gnawing on wood, plastic, metal, pipes, food and packaging, nesting sites, and tail and footprint marks in dust.

The county advises residents to remove places around their homes where rats can live, breed or find food. See the reporting guide for the county's rodent program.

How to clean up safely

The CDC's method lowers exposure:

• Wear gloves
• Air out enclosed spaces for 30 minutes before cleaning
• Soak droppings and urine with disinfectant or a fresh 1-to-9 bleach solution for 5 minutes
• Wipe up with paper towels and bag them
• Disinfect the surface, then your gloves, and wash your hands
• Do not sweep or vacuum droppings

For dead rodents and nests, spray, soak and double bag. For large areas like attics and crawl spaces, consider a professional. See droppings cleanup.

Pets and rodent diseases

Pets can be exposed too. Dogs that swim in creeks or drink from puddles after heavy rain can be exposed to leptospirosis, and pets that catch or eat rodents can be exposed to germs and to rodent poison. University of California guidance warns that pets can be poisoned by eating poisoned rodents.

Talk with your vet about your pet's risks, keep pets away from traps and bait, and do not let them eat rodents they find. See best traps for pet-safe trapping.

Children are curious about traps and droppings too. Keep traps enclosed or out of reach, teach kids not to touch rodents or droppings, and have them wash their hands after playing in areas where rodents have been, like sheds, crawl spaces and woodpiles.

Lowering the risk at home

The best protection is keeping rodents out. Seal entry points, store food in sealed containers, keep trash closed, and trap rodents inside. Keep children and pets away from droppings and traps. Wear gloves for yard cleanup in areas where rats are active, and wash hands after gardening.

If you are bitten or scratched by a rodent, wash the wound and contact a doctor. See how to get rid of rats in Memphis.