What New Jersey Homeowners Should Know About Mice and Diseases

Many types of rodents, including house mice, deer mice, field mice, and rats, carry diseases that can be spread to humans and pets. Fortunately, there are proactive measures you can take to reduce your disease risk and keep your home or business free from rodents throughout the year.

Precise specializes in rodent control and offers rodent repellant treatments to keep you feeling safe and healthy year-round.

How Rodents Spread Diseases

Rodents are vectors of various pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Humans can contract these pathogens through directly touching live or dead rodents and from the excrement they leave behind.

People can also get diseases from rodents by inhaling contaminated particles in the air. Touching contaminated surfaces can also lead to the transmission of disease between rodents and humans.

Diseases Rodents Often Carry

Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a disease commonly carried by deer mice. The early symptoms of hantavirus in humans are muscle aches, fevers, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, and headaches. Severe cases can lead to respiratory problems and even death.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that rodents spread through their urine and by contaminating surfaces. People who develop this disease may develop liver and kidney damage, as well as organ failure and meningitis.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is a foodborne disease that people contract after consuming food contaminated by rodents. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, chills, and muscle aches.

Rat bite fever

Rat bite fever affects people after they’ve handled or been bitten by a rodent. You may experience symptoms such as a rash, joint pain, muscle aches, chills, fever, and headaches with this disease.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is a viral infection carried by rodents, which is associated with fever, fatigue, and neurological damage in humans.

Lyme disease

Rodents can transmit Lyme disease if they are carrying fleas, ticks, or mites on their bodies. Early symptoms of Lyme disease include fatigue, pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Weeks or months later, people may experience issues with arthritis, neurological problems, heart palpitations, conjunctivitis, and difficulty concentrating.

How to Avoid Getting Diseases from Rodents

If you discover signs of rodents in your home or business, it’s essential to exercise extreme safety while cleaning up the messes they make.

For example, open nearby windows and doors to ventilate areas affected by rodents before cleaning up. Wear protective, disposable gloves and a mask to protect your skin and lungs.

Avoid sweeping or vacuuming rodent nests or droppings because dust can become airborne and cause respiratory harm. Instead, spray rodent areas with a disinfectant, such as a bleach-water mix, to prevent dust from spreading.

After you’ve noticed rodent activity, also disinfect all counters, floors, and other surfaces that may have been contaminated. Always wash your hands thoroughly after dealing with rodents, even if you’ve been wearing gloves.

When It’s Time to Call a Professional

Rodent infestations are often too extensive and dangerous to handle safely on your own. That’s why we recommend calling Precise to have one of our expert technicians remove all rodents and their messes for you, while taking preventative measures to keep them from returning.

Here are some signs it’s time to call us for professional rodent control help:

• You have many rodents and a large number of rodents
• You feel unwell after dealing with rodent removal yourself
• You don’t have the right tools and equipment to clean up droppings or nests safely
• Your DIY efforts aren’t stopping mice from returning to your home

How Precise Can Help

At Precise, we have over 30 years of experience in keeping Northern New Jersey homes and businesses rodent-free. We offer free inspections and are ready to address your rodent situation quickly and professionally.

If you live in Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, or Sussex County, we are here to help you maintain a healthy and safe environment in your home or business, free from rodent activity and disease risks.

Please contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation inspection today to avoid and prevent these dangerous rodent-spread diseases.