It’s no secret that rodents carry many diseases that are dangerous for humans. You don’t want to share your home with rats because you don’t want to get sick. There are many diseases to look out for, but rat-bite fever is one of the most notorious illnesses you can get from rats and other rodents. Here’s what you need to know about rat-bite fever so that you can minimize your chances of contracting it.

What Is Rat-Bite Fever?

Rat-bite fever is one of many diseases rodents can pass to humans. In many cases, it is caught early at a treatable stage. However, more severe stages can be deadly if they are not treated quickly. You may think that you need to be bitten by a rat to get this disease, but ultimately, even touching a surface that has been contaminated by an infected rat is enough to make you sick. It is best to keep rats out of your home entirely if you want to minimize your chances of catching this potentially deadly disease.

How Can a Human Get It?

Any type of contact with an infected rat can lead to rat-bite fever. Contrary to what the name suggests, you do not actually have to be bitten by a rodent to contract the disease. Something as simple as cleaning up droppings from an infected rat can make you sick. Therefore, anytime you have rats in your home, you have a chance of causing this disease.

What Are the Symptoms?

There are two types of rat-bite fever, and symptoms vary depending on which type you contract. For spirally RBF, victims may experience a rash over their entire body, high fever, swollen lymph nodes or swelling at the site of the wound.

If you contract streptobacillary RBF, you can expect to experience a high fever, rash, vomiting and headache. This type of RBF is more severe because it can lead to numerous complications, including infections and abscesses. Up to 10% of people who contract this strain of RBF die from complications.

Is It Deadly or Curable?

Rat-bite fever can be deadly if left untreated. However, most cases are identified quickly, especially if the patient remembers coming in contact with rodents. The disease can be treated easily with medication when it is identified early on. If you suspect you have had contact with any type of rodent, it is a good idea to talk with your healthcare provider about the possibility of having contracted rat-bite fever.

How Can You Prevent Rat-bite fever?

If you have rats in your home, you are at risk of contracting a rat-bite fever. The best way to prevent this disease is to keep rodents out of your home entirely. Taking measures such as keeping your house clean, storing food in airtight containers and patching up any holes in the exterior of your home can make your house a less hospitable environment for rats.

Unfortunately, sometimes rats take up residence despite your best efforts to deter them. When this happens, you need the best pest control in Toronto to remove them. Truly Nolen has a team of experts who specialize in rat removal. We know how to find and identify rats so that we can remove them quickly and easily.

Call Truly Nolen for Rat Removal

The best way to minimize your chances of contracting rat-bite fever is to invest in high-quality rodent pest control in Toronto. The pest control technicians at Truly Nolen have the knowledge, experience and tools required to remove rats from your home and sanitize the area to keep you from getting sick. Call us today to make an appointment for rat removal.