Experts commented on the introduction of rabies quarantine in two districts of Moscow

Rabies in rats - which rodents carry the infection

Article Manager • 01/31/2018
Rabies or hydrophobia is one of the diseases of past centuries that flourished in an era of unsanitary conditions, poorly developed medicine and close human contact with animals. Just a century ago, livestock, domestic animals and people died out from the rabies virus.

Today, people mostly come into contact with healthy pets with a full set of medical vaccinations. In conditions of developed veterinary medicine and pharmaceuticals, rabies has become less common, but there are exceptions: when the virus affects stray and domestic animals, and then people.

Which rats carry rabies?

Any pet can get rabies, even a decorative rat that does not leave the house. Although such cases are the rarest available: rabies is mainly carried by dogs, foxes and cats – 80%. Less commonly, other animals, including rats.

The disease is transmitted through the saliva of an animal or person, so stray dogs, cats and rodents that eat “from the same plate” and start street fights are more susceptible to infection.

Rabies in decorative rats is a rare case, since the pet is in a cage almost all the time and does not go outside. A domestic rat can contract the infection while going outside, through contact with another infected animal, or from an owner who introduced the disease. A more likely version is that a rat became infected from a person, since a person becomes a carrier if he touches an infected animal.

What diseases do rats carry?

Pet rat lovers often hear that their pets are carriers of serious diseases. Therefore, they want to find out what diseases are carried by rats living in cages at home.

Precautionary measures

Pets that are not exposed to fresh air in rare cases become carriers of pathogenic bacteria. A rat can be infected by its own owner. A mammal that eats unwashed grass or vegetables can contract salmonella, and then, while playing on the dinner table, transmit the infection to a person.

It is necessary to follow simple rules to avoid diseases:

Wash your hands after contact with a pet.
Do not place a cage with a rat near food and do not allow the animal to run around the common table or eat from your plate. These measures will help prevent rat droppings from getting into your food.
Feed your pet only fresh food. Wash vegetables, fruits, herbs.

If you are going to become the owner of a rat, then buy the animal from a trusted seller. Do not take animals from bird markets. It is better to make a purchase at a pet store. Diseases from ornamental rodents are transmitted only when the owner does not take care of his animal and does not follow the rules of hygiene.

Pasyuki are not harmless animals. They, defending their territory, even attack people and inflict painful wounds. Diseases are transmitted from rats to humans through bites. Many of them are complicated and can cause death. If a rat bites a person, it is necessary to treat the wound and seek help from a doctor.

Signs and symptoms of rabies in rats

The classic symptoms of infection, which are similar in all animals, but have different times of manifestation, will help you suspect rabies in a rat. The incubation period of virus maturation lasts from 14 to 90 days, during which the animal has no obvious signs of the disease.

The first stage of rabies can mislead the owner, as it begins with apathy, which is characteristic of other diseases. The only suspicious sign that can immediately indicate rabies is fear of light. Following the period of apathy and lethargy comes a period of causeless aggression and throwing the animal around the cage. The rat loses its appetite, saliva comes out of its mouth, vomiting and shortness of breath appear.

A characteristic sign of rabies is fear of water, paralysis of the jaw and hind limbs. The virus affects the animal more and more: aggression becomes stronger, the rat rushes at objects and people, the lower jaw of the rodent is completely paralyzed and a comatose state occurs. Periods of aggression are replaced by depression, salivation increases.

A rat survives rabies for up to 5, rarely up to 10 days, until the virus reaches the brain tissue and causes complete paralysis of the brain. As a result, the pet dies.

How to test a rat for rabies

Article Manager • 01/31/2018

Rabies or hydrophobia is one of the diseases of past centuries that flourished in an era of unsanitary conditions, poorly developed medicine and close human contact with animals. Just a century ago, livestock, domestic animals and people died out from the rabies virus.

The disease is transmitted through the saliva of an animal or person, so stray dogs, cats and rodents that eat “from the same plate” and start street fights are more susceptible to infection.

A rat survives rabies for up to 5, rarely up to 10 days, until the virus reaches the brain tissue and causes complete paralysis of the brain. As a result, the pet dies.

Domestic rats get rabies less often than other pets, and the chances of catching the virus are reduced to zero if your pet is vaccinated annually. Fortunately, 200 years ago, the founder of immunology, Louis Pasteur, developed a vaccine against rabies that is effective on animals and people. The vaccine is effective as a means of prevention even after contact with a virus carrier. But if the infection has reached the nerve pathways, the disease cannot be cured. The only thing that can be done is to alleviate the condition with sedatives, drugs that relieve convulsions and respiratory spasms. But since death is inevitable, animals are often euthanized.

It is important for owners to isolate the rat from other animals and people, and to disinfect the place where it is kept. The virus dies at a temperature of 56 degrees in 15 minutes, and in 2 minutes at a temperature of 100 degrees. You can destroy the virus using ultraviolet light and alcohol. However, the rabies virus is not afraid of low temperatures.

The virus is equally dangerous for animals and humans. The virus’s reproduction environment is the nerve cells of a living organism, into which it penetrates through the saliva of an infected person along the nerve pathways. It follows from this that a person can be infected with rabies only through the bite of a sick animal, mainly on the hand or head. Even after a bite, there is a chance that the disease will not develop: it all depends on the immune system of the person bitten and the amount of virus transmitted.

To kill the virus and prevent it from entering the body, immediately after the bite you need to thoroughly wash the wound with medical soap and water, and treat the affected surface with 40-70% alcohol.

To destroy the virus, another medical measure is necessary: administration of rabies vaccine 6 times - on days 1, 2, 7, 14, 30 and 90 after the bite. During this period, the victim must give up alcohol and allergenic foods. Vaccination of a bitten person is the most effective method of combating the disease, but only if help was provided immediately.

But if the infection “takes root”, then the person will have to endure all the suffering that the pet experienced. And yet, a person has a slightly greater chance of surviving infection with rabies than a rat. Although there are still no drugs that would be effective in case of symptoms of the disease, a special method of treating rabies was successfully tested in 2005. It involves putting a person into a coma and administering drugs that stimulate the immune system. There is a known case where this method of treatment turned out to be effective for a progressive disease.

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Rats love to live in houses and apartments. Human housing is warm and cozy, and food can always be found there, regardless of the time of year. Such a neighborhood is extremely dangerous for people. Pests spoil food and furniture, chew through wires, interfere with sleep at night, and transmit diseases that can be fatal.

A person can introduce an infectious disease into the body by tasting a product that a rat has trampled on. The fur and paws of these animals are not sterile and are a “home” for many pathogens.

Other sources of infection include:

Bite. The rodent is capable of attacking humans. Animals even gather in packs to attack large opponents. If rats attack a person, illnesses from rat bites are often complex and fatal if left untreated.
Feces of mice and rats. Pests do not look for a special place to do “their business.” They defecate directly on food. Animal excrement contains bacteria that cause dangerous diseases.
Fleas. Small insects that live on rats also bite humans. The bite becomes a funnel for the penetration of pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
Air. Infection can occur through the respiratory system. Therefore, you should not bring rodents to your face.

How rats infect humans

You can get a dose of pathogenic bacteria from any type of rat. Decorative rats are also unsafe. The chance of contracting an infection from them is minimal, but it is there. Therefore, you should follow a few simple rules for communicating with the animal: wash your hands after playing with your pet, do not bring it to your face, keep the cage away from food.

The list of diseases that can be picked up from a rodent living in houses even in large cities (such as Moscow or St. Petersburg) is impressive. If after meeting with a pasyuk or a black rat you feel unwell, you should immediately contact an infectious disease specialist.

The first symptoms of the disease appear within two days. A person's temperature rises, chills and joint pain appear. Many deadly diseases have symptoms similar to the flu. But if there has been contact with a rodent, you must inform your doctor about it.

The doctor will conduct an examination and prescribe an antibiotic. Without treatment, the disease will progress further and lead to death.

People call the infection “rat disease.” The causative agents are Leptospira, the host of which is a wild rodent. The infection enters through wounds. A wild rat only needs to bite a person once for him to become infected. Leptospira enters the body through the slightest damage to the skin.

The bacterium produces toxins that affect blood clotting. The patient has to endure intense thirst. He can't eat or sleep. His body temperature rises, causing severe chills.

The peak incidence occurs in the autumn.

The first symptoms of leptospirosis resemble a common acute respiratory infection:

temperature 39-40 degrees;
body pain;
nausea.

The main symptom of the disease is pain in the calf muscles. After a week, the face begins to swell and the eyes turn red. Leptospirosis is difficult to tolerate and takes a long time to treat. The mortality rate from this disease is ten percent. Therefore, it is necessary to visit a doctor at the first sign. Antimicrobial drugs are prescribed for treatment.

People who encounter a rat in their home begin to worry whether rats have rabies. The attack affects any mammal: dog, cat, fox. Rodents are also susceptible to the disease and can infect people through their bite.

If you or a child are bitten by a rabid rat, you should consult a doctor immediately. The doctor will prescribe vaccinations that will save your life.

A sick animal behaves aggressively, makes chaotic movements, and attacks sharply and unexpectedly. Viscous saliva flows from the mouth. A rabid mouse or rat may attack non-living objects. His head and tail are lowered. The jaw doesn't close. Rabies in rats leads to the death of the animal ten days after the infection reaches the brain tissue.

The disease is contagious. It affects the lymph nodes and skin. A patient with tularemia feels:

chills;
pain in the limbs;
headache;
fever;
dizziness.

Carrier rats infected with tularemia behave apathetically and do not leave the nest. The animal dies after 3-4 days. Infection occurs through the bite or blood-sucking insects.

Rodents are not susceptible to this disease. They are just carriers. But the person experiences the disease in full. He feels chills, body temperature rises to 40 degrees. Nausea and vomiting appear. Vision decreases.

Murine typhus is transmitted by airborne droplets. To reduce the risk of infection, keep rats away from your face.

The disease cannot be easily tolerated. An antibiotic is prescribed for treatment.

Pet rat lovers often hear that their pets are carriers of serious diseases. Therefore, they want to find out what diseases are carried by rats living in cages at home.

It is necessary to follow simple rules to avoid diseases:

Wash your hands after contact with a pet.
Do not place a cage with a rat near food and do not allow the animal to run around the common table or eat from your plate. These measures will help prevent rat droppings from getting into your food.
Feed your pet only fresh food. Wash vegetables, fruits, herbs.

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Every year, according to official statistics, up to 100 thousand people around the world turn to doctors with a complaint of a rat bite. At the same time, if you believe the same unofficial statistics, only every 30-35th bitten patient comes to the doctor, the rest simply treat the injury and forget about what happened. The most dangerous injuries are rodent bites to children and the elderly. Although the likelihood of developing any serious infections from such contact is small if the wound was treated immediately and correctly, it still remains.

First of all, if there has been a rat bite, do not panic - this is not a fatal injury, the likelihood of contracting serious and dangerous infections is small, although it does exist. To reduce the risk of adverse outcomes, it is important to quickly and correctly carry out emergency measures and wound treatment to reduce the risk of dangerous microbes entering it.

However, one cannot be completely careless about rat bites; these rodents are capable of causing serious injuries to the limbs or body due to their sharp, powerful teeth. There are known situations where rat attacks have resulted in severe soft tissue damage (lacerations) and damage to the small bones of the fingers (bone cracks). In addition, for children or adolescents, especially impressionable people, such trauma can cause psychological trauma, stress or nervous disorders, and the formation of phobias, which can then accompany the victim for a long time after the incident.

There is a list of emergency measures that are necessary immediately after an injury. The likely consequences or complications of bites will often depend on the correctness of these manipulations.

First of all, the injury must be treated immediately: it must be washed with water and laundry soap, and this must be done thoroughly in order to wash off the rodent’s saliva from the bite site as much as possible. Then you need to treat the wound with effective antiseptics - chlorhexidine solutions, hydrogen peroxide, miramistin. Often, a rat bite is quite strong and is accompanied by bleeding; the wound can be quite deep. It is necessary to carry out treatment before the bleeding stops; due to the flowing blood, part of the infection that has entered the wound will also be neutralized. All injuries, even small and superficial scratches from claws, should be treated; this is also a complete prevention against secondary infection. After treatment, it is necessary to apply a sterile bandage or patch to the bite area. This prevents mechanical stress in the affected area and the penetration of dirt or microorganisms from the skin into the wound.

Although the likelihood of any infection developing is low, it is important to monitor the wound closely. If the first signs of complications occur, you should immediately consult a doctor. It is important to remember that the most serious consequences of such bites do not develop immediately, but several weeks after the injury, when the wound has almost healed.

Rabies is a most dangerous infection for humans, transmitted from warm-blooded animals through bites and salivation of wounds. The greatest danger in terms of rabies infection are stray dogs or wild animals (for example, foxes), but there is no clear opinion regarding rats as a source of infection. In general, theoretically, like many other warm-blooded animals, rats are susceptible to the rabies virus, however, it is believed that they quickly die as a result of infection with it. Therefore, in practice, rabies has not been reported from bites by these animals. However, this does not mean that rat attacks and bites are completely safe - these rodents can infect humans with other quite dangerous infections. If not diagnosed in a timely manner, these diseases can have disastrous consequences, including death. Therefore, the condition of a person who has been attacked by rats and their bites is important to constantly monitor for several weeks.

Is it possible to cure a pet?

What to do if bitten by a rabid rat

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Parasitic diseases of rats

Skin parasites in rats are a common problem, and it is not always possible to immediately detect them visually.

After all, even with a laboratory test of skin scraping and its negative result, the body of rodents can be attacked by parasites.

Symptoms of their presence are the appearance of ulcers and scratches on the rodent’s skin, the animal itches intensely, hair loss begins, and the rat’s body becomes covered with dried crusts of blood.

You can pick up parasites very easily, and you don’t have to come into contact with other infected animals to do this.

Even an ordinary bag of sawdust for cages, which are often sold in markets, may contain parasites, so it is best to use compressed briquettes or cat litter.

Fleas on rats

You can often observe the phenomenon of fleas in rats.

Upon careful examination, they can be seen, and traces of the presence of these parasites are revealed in the form of small blood spots.

Flea bites cause severe itching in rodents, which can develop into dermatitis.

To determine whether decorative rats have fleas, it is necessary to observe the behavior of the animals, as well as carefully examine the fur.

If there are dark spots in it that look like fine sand, then this indicates the presence of flea parasites in rodents.

After treating the animals, it is necessary to treat the cages in which the animals are kept, since larvae may remain in them.

If they are present, the rodents will be again infected with fleas, so disinfection is mandatory.

Fleas can be carriers of such terrible diseases and viruses as tularemia, anthrax, brucellosis and others.

Rat's lice eater

The lice eater in rats also requires careful treatment.

What are these parasites?

These are very small insects, similar to cat fleas.

The presence of lice eaters causes a lot of inconvenience for rodents: rats begin to get nervous, show anxiety, itch, lose weight and lose their appetite. And if you do not intervene in time, this will lead to anemia and even death of animals.

It is not easy to notice a lice eater in fur even with careful examination - it is easier to notice their nits, which look like dandruff glued to the hairs. It is almost impossible to remove them manually; in this case, only special preparations will help.

If the rodent is not treated at the initial stage of infection, then adult individuals will soon hatch from the nits and begin active activity.

Lice eaters, although they are blood-sucking insects, insects are carriers of the disease trichodectosis.

Cases of human infection with it are not found in the medical literature. The lice eaters carry the cucumber tapeworm. When insect larvae enter the human gastrointestinal tract through dirty hands and mouth, the disease dipylidiosis develops.

Subcutaneous mite in a rat.

One of the most common diseases of rodents is subcutaneous mite in rats.

For these parasites, the rat is the “host” - that is, the ticks can live on it their entire life cycle.

Some species live on the skin, and some live directly in the skin itself, thereby causing the animal a lot of suffering.

The rat is constantly bothered by severe itching, due to which its body becomes covered with bloody wounds, and this threatens infection.

The consequences of the activity of ticks are very deplorable: in addition to itching, the animal suffers from swelling and hair loss, the skin becomes dry and covered with crusts.

There is also a type of tick that does not cause its “owner” any inconvenience, but if the rat has a weak immune system, the parasites will bother it in any case.

Worms in rats.

Rodent lovers often face the problem of worms in rats.
Basically, worms infect the animal's intestines, but there are types that penetrate muscle tissue, kidneys, liver, and even affect the lungs.

Infection with helminths (worms) threatens rats with indigestion, itching, deterioration of coat condition, constipation, diarrhea, emaciation and baldness.

The possibility of the presence of these parasites in rodents can never be excluded, so two to three times a year rats should undergo prophylaxis with special anthelmintic drugs.

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Rabies in rats - how does it manifest?

True rabies belongs to a group of diseases dangerous to humans. The disease has several forms, the most common of which are abortive, violent and paralytic (silent). Regardless of the form of the disease, the incubation period ranges from 14 days to 3 months, and infection occurs only in bitten people and animals.

The disease is transmitted through saliva through a bite. Clothing and wool can become a barrier to its path into the body; in addition, the immunological state of the bitten person is important. The most dangerous are considered to be bites from a rabid animal to the head and area of nerve nodes. In this case, the pathogen attacks the nervous tissue much faster. The disease occurs in several stages.

The rat is a carrier of many infectious and viral diseases that are dangerous to humans.

Rabies in rats

One of these is rabies in rats.

It consists of several forms, the most common of which are paralytic, abortive and violent.

Infection is only possible through the bite of a sick animal, since the virus is transmitted through saliva.

How does rabies manifest in rats?

This process is divided into two stages.

At first, the rat behaves apathetically, hiding in dark places, then gradually begins to show activity: it jumps up sharply and makes chaotic movements. Obvious symptoms of infection include dilated pupils, excessive salivation and refusal to eat.
The second stage manifests itself in the form of aggression and strong agitation. The rodent behaves violently, gnaws objects and rushes at people, after which it plunges first into depression and then into a comatose state. It is extremely rare for a domestic rat to become infected with rabies, but if this happens, it must be euthanized.

Rabies is transmitted to humans through a bite; symptoms of rabies in humans:

temperature up to 37.3 °C
depression
insomnia
anxiety
pain at the bite site
sensitivity to any irritants
hallucinations
rave
increased salivation

then paralysis of the eye muscles, limbs, jaw occurs, and paralysis of the respiratory muscles leads to death.

Encephalomyelitis in rats.

A viral disease such as encephalomyelitis in rats also causes considerable danger.

This is a dangerous infection that is an inflammation of the brain, also called a filter virus.

Infection occurs through the bites of blood-sucking insects. The incubation period of this disease ranges from ten days to a month, and is accompanied by fever, nausea, convulsions and vomiting.

Then the infected rodent experiences paralysis of the limbs (mainly the hind limbs) and death occurs after two to three days.

If the disease is detected at an early stage, rats are treated with special medications, but in most cases, infected animals are euthanized. If there has been contact with other animals, they are quarantined for a month, and the cells are thoroughly disinfected with chloramine and perhydrol.

Ectromelia in rats

Also dangerous is a viral disease called ectromelia in rats (mousepox).

This infection occurs in both acute and chronic forms, affecting the internal organs of rodents.

Treatment and prevention

Domestic rats rarely get rabies; this can only happen after direct contact with an already sick animal.

To prevent infection, it is best to keep your pet at home and not go outside with him. If infection is detected, the animal is euthanized, and the enclosure where it was kept is disinfected. If the animal turns out to be healthy, it is returned to its owner after quarantine.

It was believed that the “Black Death” was brought to Europe by a black rat and no one else. But at least 250 different animals can be carriers; sometimes it is enough for a person to simply touch a sick animal to become infected. The disease is also transmitted from person to person.

What are the dangers of living with rodents?

Most rodents feed on leftover food that people throw away. Because of this, mammals settle in residential buildings or in close proximity to them. All this leads to frequent human contact with the pest. To avoid negative consequences, you should know the harm rats bring to people.

This disease has killed hundreds of thousands of people over the centuries. In the 21st century, 2000–3000 cases of infection are recorded annually, 7% of which end in the death of the patient. Rodents are considered the main spreader of plague. These harmful mammals are carriers of the plague bacillus, which quickly develops in their body.

In most cases, infection occurs through rat attacks on humans. However, there are situations when the plague was suffered not by rodents, but by fleas living on their bodies.

Infection process:

The flea takes up residence in the fur of a plague-infected rat and begins to drink the blood of its victim.
Bacteria enter the insect's stomach and multiply quickly.
Gradually there are so many of them that they block the esophagus.
When a person comes into contact with a rat, the flea changes its owner.
The insect bites its new victim and tries to swallow its blood.
Due to a clogged esophagus, she has to regurgitate some of the “food” into a wound on the person’s body.
As a result of this, the plague bacillus enters the human blood.

Encephalitis

Rats are the main target of ticks. These blood-sucking insects wait for their prey and at the right moment cling to its fur. After that, they gnaw through the skin and get to the blood of the rodent. While “eating,” the ticks unwittingly infect the rat with encephalitis (a disease characterized by inflammation of the brain). In the following days, mammals may bite a person and infect him with a dangerous disease.

Manifestations of encephalitis:

prolonged fever;
high temperature (38 to 40°C);
severe chills.

In the absence of proper treatment, nausea, vomiting, headache, insomnia and weakness appear.

Sodoku

Sodoku is often called a rat disease, since it can only be contracted through the bite of this rodent. In the first few days, the bitten person feels great and does not experience any health problems. However, after this the following symptoms appear:

muscle pain;
gradual increase in temperature to 39–40°C;
impaired coordination of movements;
excessive excitement.

Sodoku can greatly harm a person if left inactive for a long time and if one refuses to take antibiotics. In advanced cases, the likelihood of death increases greatly. If you take timely measures, you can get rid of a dangerous disease in a short time.

Streptobacillosis

A person becomes infected with this dangerous disease after being bitten by a rodent. Bacteria enter the blood and quickly begin to develop. Within a few hours the patient feels unwell. In addition, the temperature rises sharply and allergic rashes appear. If treatment is not started in time, the bacteria will attack the lymph nodes and cause swelling of the soft tissues. In the later stages of the disease, the brain is affected.

Rabies

Today it is not known for sure whether rats have rabies or not. However, scientists suggest that this is theoretically possible. During studies, several characteristic symptoms were identified in rodents caught on the street. All attempts to artificially infect rats with rabies ended in the death of the animal within a few days. During this time, the disease did not have time to develop and harm the rodent.

Rabies in rats has not been officially registered. Despite this, in various countries around the world there are cases of people becoming infected with it after contact with rodents.

Typhus

This infectious disease is considered dangerous to humans. Without proper treatment, bacteria affect the central nervous system and impair the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Typhus can be identified by the following symptoms:

increase in body temperature up to 40°C;
Strong headache;
fever;
malaise;
skin rashes.

We suggest you read: How to poison rats in the countryside

Despite the dangerous symptoms, curing a sick person is quite simple. To do this, you need to take special antibiotics and create unfavorable conditions for the development of bacteria.

The disease is transmitted by fleas living on the body of the rat. Unlike the plague, typhoid is not transmitted through an insect bite, but through the penetration of harmful microorganisms into cracks in the skin.

Fever

Wild rats can carry infections that cause various types of fever (Congo, Venezuelan, Omsk, Chapre, Q, Lassa). Most of them can kill a person, so when the first signs appear, you should consult a doctor.

Infection occurs in three ways:

drinking contaminated water;
bite of an infected tick;
spread of dry rat excrement with dust.

Cryptosporidiosis

This is one of the most poorly understood diseases carried by rats. It is caused by parasites that enter the rodent's body and multiply rapidly. A person becomes a victim of cryptosporidiosis if they come into contact with the feces of a sick rat. This may happen under the following circumstances:

accidental ingestion of water while swimming in a pond;
eating poorly washed vegetables and fruits (for example, gifts of nature just picked from the garden or taken out of the basement);
drinking untreated tap water.

Giardiasis

Rats are dangerous not only for their bites, but also for their secretions. An animal's excrement may contain a large number of parasites. The most dangerous of them are Giardia. They affect the small intestine, negatively affect the process of food digestion, and also disrupt metabolism.

You can become infected with giardiasis only when rat waste products enter the human digestive system. This can happen in the following ways:

drinking water from a river or lake;
eating poorly washed foods;
contact with the ground, which contains many parasites.

Tularemia

You can become infected with tularemia in two ways: contact with a sick rodent or inhalation of infectious dust. The first option is possible when you are in places where rats accumulate (for example, a basement), and the second option is when small particles of dried excrement enter the respiratory tract.

Symptoms of tularemia:

fever;
heat;
low blood pressure;
inflammation of the membranes of the eyes.

Listeriosis

Listerosis is an infectious disease that affects cells of the human immune system. The result of this negative impact is a decrease in the body’s resistance to various viruses and pathology of the nervous system.

In most cases, the spreader of the disease is rats. Their contaminated waste products dry out and are carried over long distances by the wind. Small particles settle on grown vegetables and fruits and also end up in drinking water. A person becomes ill with listeriosis only when sanitary standards and hygiene rules are neglected.

Tuberculosis

One bite from a sick rat is enough to become infected with this serious disease. In addition, bacteria can enter the human body after contact with rodent fur or excrement.

The main symptom of tuberculosis is a cough that does not stop for several weeks. Other symptoms include weakness, high fever and difficulty breathing.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is caused by a viral infection entering the body. Without proper and timely treatment, cirrhosis and other chronic diseases develop. Most rodents are carriers of bacteria. Their excrement ends up on food or mixed with water. When it enters the digestive system, the infection quickly reaches the liver, causing irreparable damage to one of the main organs.

Hepatitis is dangerous not only for adults, but also for children. Because of this, you need to carefully monitor your health and take the necessary measures in a timely manner.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is an acute intestinal infection caused by bacteria. The disease is characterized by pronounced symptoms, which can only be eliminated after long-term treatment.

Main features:

nausea;
vomit;
prolonged diarrhea;
lack of appetite;
high body temperature;
chills.

In most cases, salmonellosis infection occurs as a result of eating contaminated foods. In addition, you can get sick after contact with rodents or their excrement.

Fighting rabies

The fight against rabies does not stop, despite the results achieved. The veterinary service does not lay down its weapons. Suffice it to say that over the past decades, up to 6 million dogs and up to 3 million cattle have been constantly vaccinated in cities, threatened and disadvantaged areas. Scientific research in this area continues. Relatively recently, a new dry anti-rabies phenol vaccine was put into production.

It is used for preventive vaccinations of dogs and cats, as well as for forced vaccination of high-value agricultural animals. Veterinary laboratories are introducing a new effective method for the serological diagnosis of rabies using the so-called diffusion precipitation reaction or immunofluorescence. It allows you to diagnose the disease with greater accuracy.

These and other achievements confirm experts in the opinion that rabies, which is currently being prevented, can ultimately be defeated. This disease also has many names, invented by the people: shoot (according to ancient Russian chronicles), fireweed, Persian fire and simply - Siberian fever.

And the fact that we, despite the sharp decrease in the incidence of it in animals, dwell on it, is forced by its special danger, due to the ability of anthrax spores to survive and persist in nature for many years.

Livestock farmers are well aware that this is a soil-borne infection. It occurs in an animal most often when grazing or eating food from an infected pasture, as well as when drinking water. The disease often broke out in pastures located near cattle burial grounds. This is where the invisible enemy nests! The grass growing here is dangerous, and unvaccinated animals grazing on an infected area of pasture can easily become ill with anthrax.

But the cattle burial grounds have not yet been wiped off the face of the earth, the swamps where, perhaps, several decades ago, the corpses of dead animals were buried or left to smolder from anthrax have not been dried out. This means that the possibility of animal disease even now cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the possibility of human infection cannot be ruled out.

How does a person become infected? Most often, during the slaughter of a sick animal, cutting up a game, or skinning a corpse that was not shown to a doctor, and the cause of the disease was not determined.

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Which rats carry rabies?

Any pet should be protected from contact with animals from the street. There is also no need to allow other pets into your home—both your own from the street and your neighbors’ pets. These are sufficient measures to prevent the decorative rodent from getting sick.

In the private sector, and sometimes in multi-storey buildings, in basements, in hallways and between partitions, wild rats, which are the most serious carrier of rabies, can live. To limit their access to the home and contact with pets, it is necessary to check every corner of the home to ensure that there are no unauthorized entrances for street rodents. You also need to carefully monitor the entrance to your home to avoid the entry of wild animals that can carry the disease.

Signs and symptoms of rabies

In a sick rat, in the initial stage of the disease, the symptoms may be poorly expressed. This is difficult to determine, since these rodents are smart, and each of them can experience mood swings outside of illness.

However, certain factors should alert the pet owner (the first 1–4 days):

apathy;
desire to hide in the dark;
manifestations of aggressiveness;
skin itching;
dyspnea;
dilated pupils;
poor appetite;
the appearance of saliva from the mouth.

In the second stage of the disease (days 5–8), the primary symptoms will be followed by more visible ones:

increased aggression;
an attempt to bite not only people or animals, but also any inanimate objects;
increased endurance;
drooping lower jaw;
lowered head;
tail between his legs.

These symptoms progress to a depressive state, followed by coma and death of the pet.

Is it dangerous for humans?

A person can also become infected with rabies if they do not follow basic hygiene and safety rules. For example, there is no need to try to please or calm a lethargic or aggressive animal with caresses. If any of the above symptoms appear, it is necessary to urgently isolate the pet in a cage and take it to a veterinarian. In most cases, the rat is euthanized, and its owner will have to visit a rabiologist.

Rabies is an extremely dangerous disease that can not only affect domestic rodents, but also spread to family members of their owners. Domesticated rats must be kept clean and have no contact with street animals. If these conditions are met, there is a high probability of protecting your pet from a fatal disease.

source

Why is it dangerous?

Being around gray pests is not only unpleasant, but also truly unsafe:

Infection with severe infections (plague, typhus, pseudotuberculosis, etc.), skin diseases, parasites.
Risk of being bitten. Yes, adults can attack people and pets; such cases are recorded all the time.
It’s easy to leave a hospital, school, or factory without electricity! They love secluded places and happily chew the wiring in transformer boxes. The consequence is accidents, fires. Some sources claim that the culprit of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2021 was a rat that chewed through a wire. The short circuit caused a fire and the risk of a global tragedy.
Contamination of food, raw materials, liquids with viruses (more than 20 types). A person may not even realize that a spider is operating in the house at night, but can become infected through animal excrement or a bitten product.