Rat droppings

Which doctor should I contact?

If, after a rodent bite or suspected contact with its waste products (contaminated soil, water, food, air), you develop signs of an acute infectious disease (fever, headache, weakness, muscle and joint pain), as well as pain and redness in the area bite, you need to consult an infectious disease doctor.
Additionally, the wound may need to be treated by a surgeon. Rats and mice belong to the order Rodents. If you don’t know the difference between them, it’s easy to confuse the animals. This will lead to an erroneous choice of means of destruction. Adults are characterized by different sizes: a rat is larger than a mouse. At the initial stage of development, young animals are more difficult to distinguish. To understand who is found in the house, they first study the features of the rodent’s body structure.

Small animals of several species are found in residential buildings. A house mouse lives near a person, as well as a gray, black or red rat.

The difference between rodents becomes noticeable if we evaluate each body parameter separately:

Dimensions. When thinking about what ordinary rats look like, the image of a large-bodied animal immediately comes to mind. The body length of this rodent reaches 30 cm. The mouse is smaller in size, the average individual is characterized by a length of up to 10 cm. Weight. Given the difference in size, it is logical to assume that the mass of animals also differs. For example, a mouse weighs between 30 and 50 g, while a fellow rat family reaches 900 g. Tail. Differs in length and thickness. This part of the mouse's body is shorter

You should also pay attention to the thickness. The mouse has a thin tail, while large rodents have a thick tail, which is more noticeable at the base

In addition, it is not covered with fur. The mouse tail is also different: it is hairy, and the color matches the color of the body. The eyes of the mouse are larger. Rodent ears also vary in size, shape and location. For example, in a mouse they are round, wide, and directed to the sides. Rat ears are flattened and distinguished by a small base. The shape of the head is also different. The muzzle of a rat is elongated, while that of a mouse is triangular in shape.

Relative to the head, the rat's eyes are small. Mice have more expressive and slightly convex black eyes.

In addition, pay attention to the wool. There are other differences besides color.

The rat is characterized by hard hair, and the mouse has softer hair.

Rats, unlike mice, are able to jump high - up to 2 meters in extreme situations. They are highly intelligent

Differences between a mouse and a rat

The main feature of a newborn rat pup is its larger body size. This is noticeable upon birth. The mouse is always smaller. The main characteristic differences between rodents are the same as in adults: the shape of the ears, the color of the emerging fur, etc. Sometimes a baby rat is confused with an adult mouse.

To avoid this mistake, you should find out how they differ:

A rat at an early stage of development is characterized by a blunt snout, while a mouse has a pointed head shape.
The baby rat's tail has not yet developed enough, which means it is shorter than that of an adult mouse.
The ears of baby rats are still small and smaller in size than the hearing organs of adult mice.
There are still skin folds on the soles of the baby rats, while they are absent in the mice. This feature allows you to determine the difference from rodent tracks.

A distinctive feature of rat pups is their blunt-nosed, as if chopped off muzzle.

Baby rats and adult mice have similar paw sizes, but the placement of the toes is an additional characteristic that can be used to distinguish rodents.

What does rodent droppings look like?

Fresh, slightly shiny and moist feces of gnawing animals have a fairly soft consistency. Its color varies depending on the food consumed by the pest, but in most cases it is dark in color. During the hot season, it quickly dries out and hardens. Over time, the stool becomes duller, taking on a gray tint. They can easily crumble under mechanical stress.

Based on the volume of detected animal feces, you can approximately determine the number of pests living in the house. Fresh rat or mouse excrement indicates the presence of even one gnawing animal in the room. If the detected secretions are of different sizes, then this confirms the presence of an entire population of dangerous animals of various ages that are actively reproducing and growing. Large deposits of fecal matter are usually found near food supplies or along animal routes.

Such symptoms of the presence of rodents are very often observed in basement or attic-type rooms. Having discovered them, it is necessary to urgently take action or go to. Mammals are capable of reproducing very quickly, which reduces the effectiveness of independent attempts to get rid of them. Therefore, the most effective way to control pests in this case is to completely treat the premises with special professional pest control services.

Rats are quite dangerous animals for humans. They are carriers of various diseases that have a serious impact on human health. In addition, rodents have sharp teeth, which causes them to damage furniture. Their numbers are increasing at a rapid rate, so when rodents are discovered, you should immediately begin to fight them.

Rodents often live in residential areas

How to get rid of rats in an apartment? First of all, don't panic. These pests can be driven out forever; for this it is necessary to use special control methods.

Rats can appear on any floor. Concrete walls, wooden partitions or metal fences are not an obstacle for them. Thanks to their sharp teeth, in a short time they turn a small hole in the wall or a small chip into a convenient passage for themselves. They move to the upper floors through ventilation shafts, the space between pipes or garbage chutes.

Most often, rodents live in apartments that are dirty and where garbage has not been removed for a long time. They are attracted by an unpleasant smell and quickly find its source. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly take out the trash and wash the floors in the room. You can notice the presence of pests by certain signs:

an unpleasant smell appears in the room, like a hamster;
feces appear - these are small, dark, shiny balls;
in the evening, night and morning in silence you can hear a strong grinding and squeaking sound;
in houses you can see scraps of thread, paper or newspapers - these are kind of burrows, they may indicate that the rat is preparing to become a mother;
holes appear in the walls in rooms, bathrooms and other rooms;
the bags containing the cereal were chewed through, the contents spilled out.

Rats can go without food or water for a long time. They jump perfectly, crawl in hard-to-reach places, and swim. They are very tenacious, capable of living in unfavorable conditions for a long time, even radiation does not kill them. Sometimes they form flocks and attack humans. Therefore, if there are rats in the room, you should not put off exterminating them.

Fighting methods

Rats in the apartment, what to do? There are several ways to exterminate rodents. All of them are effective under certain conditions. Destruction is carried out:

traps;
chemically;
folk remedies;
ultrasonic devices;
with the help of professional specialists.

To destroy rats forever, you need to assess the situation, decide on a method, and then begin the fight.

Traps are considered effective if there are several individuals in the apartment. The devices are easy to use and come in a variety of designs. Be sure to install bait in them. Traps should be placed in areas where rats are most likely to appear or where rat excrement is present. The animal follows the smell of food used in the device.

Chemical method

You can get rid of rodents using chemicals. They are sold in specialized stores. The most popular are:

Ratid-1. The product is in granules and can be used for any type of premises. Destroys pests in a short time. It is enough to sprinkle the drug in places where animals appear, but you should be careful to ensure that the product does not get into human food.
Goliath. A very effective remedy, often used by professionals. The drug kills rats in 14 days. This is a very important point, as they are considered cautious rodents. Seeing that everything is fine with the rats that tried the poisoned food, the rest will also start eating it. The drug affects the blood and mind of the animal. Within 10 days, the blood coagulates, consciousness is lost, and oxygen starvation occurs. As a result, in 2 weeks you can completely get rid of the harmful inhabitants of the apartment.
Krysin. A popular remedy that kills rodents instantly. An ampoule of the drug must be added to 500 g of seeds, mixed with 3 drops of vegetable oil. Place the bait in places where animals move; you can use the product with fish, meat, and cottage cheese. After eating poisoned food, a rat dies within 2 minutes.

Chemical agents are very effective in controlling rodents. They kill the animal in a fairly short time. At the same time, it is necessary to be as careful as possible when working with drugs, making sure that they do not get on the skin or in human food.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies against rodents are considered effective and safe for humans. However, it is worth assessing the number of rodents in the apartment, deciding whether it is rational to deal with them yourself or whether it is worth calling in professionals.

Rodents can be destroyed using the following folk remedies:

Get a cat. It is considered the most common method. However, you should get an adult cat that has developed hunting instincts. Some cats are lazy or afraid of rats. Rats smell the hunter, which will scare them away from the room forever. A hunting cat will not allow rats to appear in the apartment again.
Make bait. To do this, take plaster and flour, mix in equal proportions, divide into several parts, and place around the house. The rodent will eat the food and will definitely want to drink after it. The plaster in the stomach will harden after a short period of time and the animal will die.
Use of ash. Rodents do not tolerate its smell, so the ash needs to be spread out in places where they appear. The substance will get on the skin of the animal’s paws, begin to irritate it, thereby driving it out of the apartment. Using this method will not allow pests to appear in the apartment due to the negative effects of the substance on their body.
Rats do not like plants such as peppermint and black root. You can place flower pots with these plants indoors; the smell will repel pests forever.
If a person notices that harmful rodents have begun to appear in his apartment, then all holes in the walls should be sealed as soon as possible. However, it should be borne in mind that concrete, wood, cardboard and ordinary foam are not a barrier for animals. Therefore, it is necessary to use sheets of iron, a mixture of concrete and crushed glass.
Rats can be killed using crushed glass. To do this, it is placed in bread crumbs or other products, and baits are placed throughout the house. Glass will have a negative effect on the internal organs of the animal, and after a short time it will die.
Using special glue. This product can be purchased at any hardware store. It is applied to cardboard, which is placed where rodents most often appear. The animal is firmly glued to the cardboard and cannot budge. After the rodent is caught, it is necessary to throw it out, after feeding it poison.

We suggest you read: Where insects hide in winter: examples || How insects prepare for winter

These pests can be driven out forever; for this it is necessary to use special control methods

Folk remedies

What to do if there is a rat

If a person suspects that a rat has appeared in the apartment, then he should first of all pay attention to whether there is rat excrement on the floor in the rooms, as well as an unpleasant odor. If fears are confirmed, then do not panic; the following measures should be taken:

First of all, consult with SES employees and notify the management company about the problem.
What to do with rats in the basement should be decided by the management company's employees. When deciding to use toxic substances, it is necessary to notify all residents of the house, who will take measures to prevent rodents from entering the apartments.
In big cities, special means are used to kill rats that mummify the animal. Such an animal does not emit an unpleasant odor after death, thereby not scaring away other individuals. Therefore, the drug is very effective in the fight against rats.

If rats appear in the house, you should immediately begin to destroy them. In this case, you should not panic, you need to act quickly.

Damage to people and homes

You can suspect the presence of mice in an apartment or your own home based on the following signs:

Small holes appear in the baseboard area. Often, shredded pieces of paper can be found in these places;
there is mouse droppings on the floor and in secluded places;
there is a “musty” smell in the room, it is very difficult not to notice it;
extraneous sounds (rustling, squeaking). At first they are heard only at night, then residents hear unpleasant sounds during the day;
If there is a cat in the house, then its behavior changes significantly (the animal becomes aggressive, nervous, and often rushes from one corner to another).

How did I know that these were rodents after all?

Before I saw the mouse moving around the perimeter of the room, I used to suspect that someone besides me lived in the house.

A number of signs indicated this:

Chewed food and things
. This is easy to see, the main thing is to conduct a thorough inspection of the house. Before handling suspicious objects with traces, you must wear gloves. Two imprints remain from the teeth of mice and look like two parallel holes with superficial grooves.
Excrement
. Mouse ones look like grains, rat ones look like piles of different sizes. If such an unpleasant thing is found, it is necessary to immediately begin its destruction!
Spots
. Rodents, as a rule, move along the same paths, so-called paths along the same route. Rubbing wool and floor surfaces leaves stains. By following these spots, you can easily find the “den” of pests.
Paths
. Clearly visible on dusty surfaces. From them you can determine who settled at home and the number of such guests.
Rodent corpses
. They simply cannot appear in the house. This means that a whole troop of animals has settled somewhere.
A specific odor similar to ammonia
. A rather dubious sign, but if there are other indicators of rodents, then you should sound the alarm - whiskered-tailed pests have indeed taken up residence in the house.

How to find out the presence of rodents in a room?

Rodents, especially mice, love to settle and live near humans because they:

Very cunning and smart;
They don’t want to bother themselves too much looking for food.

Apartments and houses where people live are usually full of delicious edible products. In order to get easy food, they follow people everywhere. They are found on trains, on ships, on airplanes and in other food supply points.

Mice can easily:

Gnaw the walls;
Doors;
And sometimes they pass through ventilation systems.

The owner of a living space may not immediately notice the presence of mice and rodents. If at night you hear squeaking, rustling sounds and there are chewed objects, then we can assume that uninvited tailed guests have already settled in the apartment. After eating food, a mouse leaves traces of its presence - excrement in the form of black grains. In spring and summer, mice can move outside, but still prefer to live near humans.

Mice are usually nocturnal, but there are also cases (for example, a pregnant female) when they run around during the day in search of food and even attack people and animals. During the breeding season, the female mouse becomes very aggressive and attacks any attempt to enter her nest.

The biggest problem is the rapid reproduction of rodents. The female's pregnancy lasts no more than a month. A newborn female mouse will begin to leave offspring at the age of two months.

Prevention methods

Infections within rodent populations respond quickly to favorable weather conditions, for example, heavy rainfall or high air temperatures can increase the likelihood of the development and spread of zoonotic infections in Eastern European and Mediterranean countries. However, the increase in incidence is also associated with a number of other factors that can reduce the risk of infection among the population:

compliance with epidemiological rules;
regular sanitary and technical measures to combat rodents;
disinfection of premises;
preventing the entry of rats and mice into food warehouses, granaries and other facilities;
high-quality water purification;
health education for all segments of the population.

What does rat droppings look like? Mouse droppings are dangerous Rat feces

Rat feces differ from the excrement of other rodents not only in size and shape, but also in location. Thus, the presence of brown animals is indicated by spindle-shaped droppings that lie in small piles. It has a grayish tint and fairly large particles. Very thin, about 10 mm long and almost black feces are left by black pests. The largest are the excrements of the pasyuk (gray rat), they reach a length of up to 20 mm. Below you can see what rat droppings look like in the photo.

If you notice that something foreign has gotten into your food, including mouse feces, then it is better to get rid of such food. I can't imagine anyone eating stool. And if you didn’t notice and accidentally ate poop, then nothing may happen (if these are, for example, house mice that have undergone a veterinary examination) until the most terrible infections with a fatal outcome.

Rat droppings not only cause negative emotions in people - they are very dangerous. Therefore, you should not allow this type of rodent to appear in your apartment.

Even a relatively young rat will have significantly larger and thicker droppings than a mouse. What does rat droppings look like in color format? The color of rat feces also depends on the food they eat. But most often it is black with various shades. So the pellets of rat droppings differ from mouse droppings in both color and size. If you find feces on the floor in the morning that are larger than 6 mm and dark, it means that you have rats in your house. If they are light and less than 6 mm, then they are mice.

Virus transmission

Voles and Norway rats act as carriers of the virus. At the same time, animals themselves do not get sick, but only transmit this virus. It is excreted through the urine and feces of animals. Among the routes of infection, several types are distinguished:

Airborne dust type of infection, in which dust containing excrement with the virus is inhaled;
An alimentary type of infection in which food or water contaminated with secretions containing the virus is consumed;
A contact type of infection in which damaged skin comes into contact with contaminated objects with the virus or directly with rodents infected with it.

The virus is not transmitted from one person to another.

Rules for exterminating rodents using mousetraps and rat traps

When you have managed to recognize from the droppings who has settled in your house, you can go looking for traps and traps. Spring mouse traps against rats are a very good remedy. Think about where you most often saw mouse droppings. This will help trace the rodent's path from the burrow to the feeding site. Most often, its role is played by an open or not tightly closed garbage can. But mice will not mind chewing through the back wall of the kitchen unit.

Do not try to seal a gap through which rodents enter the house

This will only make them behave more carefully. In addition, they will gnaw holes for themselves in another place, and this again means damage to the baseboards and other finishing, and therefore a waste of money

Therefore, try to catch them through one initial gap.

It is best not to place mousetraps directly near the crack. The mouse will smell the bait from a distance. And if one of the mouse relatives constantly dies near the gap, this will alert the rest of the brethren. During the night, you can catch only one mouse near the crack, since it will simply scare away the rest with its death squeal. If you place mousetraps around the entire perimeter of the room in which they feed (usually the kitchen), you can catch up to 3-4 pieces per night. The same is true with rats.

How to clean an outbuilding

Before you begin work in one of these structures, ventilate it for at least 30 minutes. As in previous cases, you will need gloves and disinfectant. Remove all mouse droppings, damaged items or bitten food items, nests and rodent carcasses. Spray disinfectant and wipe floors thoroughly.

Place all traces of the presence of animals, the corpses themselves, rags and disposable towels in plastic bags and throw them in the trash. Spray the solution on the floors, walls and clean them. Clean desks, countertops, desks, cabinets or any other furniture that has marks or stains on it. Rodents have an easier time gaining access to outbuildings than to the home, so it is important to maintain the lawn and other vegetation that surrounds them.

About the poison

Another effective way to rid your home of mice is mouse poison. It smells very attractive to mice. And they die from it very quickly. The main thing, again, is not to place the poison too close to the gap from where rodents come out to hunt for food. Otherwise, the mouse, having eaten arsenic, will have time to crawl somewhere under the floor or into a wall and die there. You won’t believe how much their bodies, which have begun to decompose, stink. Sometimes you have to dismantle the walls to get rid of their corpses. And if there were a lot of mice, and they all crawled away to die in different directions, you will have to dismantle half the house.

Therefore, quick-acting poisons should be poured away from the treasured gap so that the mice die before they have time to crawl to it. If the poisons are weak and the mice, crawling away, die somewhere at home, you yourself understand what will happen then.

Cat in the house

This is also an option. But it is not always effective. People love their pets very much and often feed them so much that they lose the desire not only to chase mice, but also to move in general. And not all breeds are prone to this activity. The urge to catch mice is in their genes and is inherited. If the mother cat was not inclined to this activity, her offspring will be 50% just as lazy.

And even though your cat will constantly wait for prey at the trash can, it is not a fact that he will be able to catch the mouse. Mice are very resourceful and are able to hide and crawl through the smallest cracks. Therefore, a cat will not always be able to help get rid of mice 100%.

How to identify a mouse

The properties of mouse droppings are as follows. Each individual mouse “poop” rarely reaches dimensions greater than 6 mm. Basically, within 4-5 mm. Mice rarely grow to large sizes. But they take it in numbers. Often, small feces, up to 3 mm long, can be found next to large ones. This means that a brood has already occurred within the boundaries of your house and the family contains both adults and young animals.

What does mouse droppings look like based on geometric data? Most often these are oval granules, somewhat similar to oats, only with rounded edges. Their color may change depending on what the mice eat. If it is cereal or bread, then their droppings are light gray in color. It can be a little darker, it can be a little lighter, but it is never black. This is already the color of rat droppings.

How are rat feces different from mouse feces?

First of all, the excrement of mice and rats differs in size, and quite significantly. Mouse feces reach a size of 4-5 mm, rat feces 10–16 mm. The color of the excrement is also different. Rat droppings are usually darker, but their color, like mouse droppings, depends on the rodent's diet and what food was last eaten.

Rat

You can determine who left the litter based on one more sign. If rats choose 1-2 places in the room to defecate, then mice do it copiously and anywhere. So a large amount of small feces found throughout the house is an obvious sign of the presence of mice.

How to destroy mice and rats in the house - proven means and results

Very simple! The main thing is to be fully armed. Everything will come in handy - the experience of friends, information from the Internet, tips from sellers from gardening and dacha supply stores.

After all, everyone remembers what problems rodents can bring with them:

The old-fashioned method, the most proven and ancient - the well-known mousetrap
. A unique invention of mankind, so simple, but so effective. People have been using it to destroy rodents for several hundred years. There is a mouse in the house - you need to buy a mousetrap without delay. I can tell you from my own experience – it’s an effective thing. No matter how many times I used it, I always found a trophy in it in the morning. The bait for the mousetrap is a piece of food, I put sausage, meat - the mouse definitely won’t refuse such foods!
A trap soaked in glue
. When a mouse comes into contact with such a trap, it simply sticks to it and can no longer move. You can also install such a device yourself using cardboard and special glue (sold in hardware stores). Glue is applied to cardboard and installed in areas frequently visited by rodents.
Ultrasound
. A modern remedy, in addition, it will help in the fight against many insects. The operating principle of the device is simple. It transmits electromagnetic pulses. They, in turn, act on rodents in a certain way - they cause anxiety. It should be installed in places where mouse activity is high. An excellent, effective product, although it is not cheap, it is guaranteed to rid your home of pests.
I
. Let me point out right away that it is not suitable for everyone. I have a small dog at home, and I did not resort to this remedy. Modern toxic substances work in two directions: they kill the animal and promote its rapid mummification, that is, the body will not emit putrefactive “odors”, but will quickly dry out.
Special services
. They specialize in removing a variety of pests. Professionals will do their job quickly, efficiently, and safely.

The most important point is to do it without putting it off until later.

These methods and means are the most effective and affordable; they will 100% rid your home of mice and rats.

Why are there mice and rats in my house - I understand the reasons

Before you take action, it’s worth figuring out why there are mice or rats in the house.

Let me start with the fact that these are, first of all, living creatures, and they are driven by the instinct of seeking food. That is, for them the object of increased attention will be the home where there is free access to products. Even if they settled with neighbors, sooner or later they will go to inspect other properties. And if they find something edible, they will gain a foothold in this territory.

Where do these mammals even come from? They breed in places where they live well: where no one will bother them. Landfills, garbage cans, warehouses are habitats. Basically, there are poor sanitary conditions there, and rodents cannot be destroyed.

They can get into our homes in many ways: migration from other homes, transportation of things, delivery of household appliances from warehouses.

The most favorite places for mice and rats are individual houses, where there are cellars, underground spaces, outbuildings with domestic animals and grain reserves. The last place is generally a paradise for them, there is always something edible there.

Mice are very brave rodents; they settle next to humans in apartments. And they are not limited to the first floors, rising much higher. Although the first one is more convenient, since it can be reached more easily and quickly from the basement. Dwellings in which there is open access to food or where dirt and pieces of food remain due to poor cleaning become places of active exploration for mice.

From everything that has been written, I draw one conclusion: often a person and his actions become the cause of the appearance of rodents. And all because many of us are lazy. Scattered crumbs of bread and a pile of dirty clothes are the most favorable environment for uninvited guests.

Can rat and mouse droppings cause problems for chickens and humans?

Absolutely yes. But not as much as you might think.

The droppings themselves, for example, will not transmit bubonic plague, which is carried by fleas. And the rodent must be infected itself before it can transmit any infection.

Rodents love to nest in straw. This one was in my coop

Be careful, dust may contain bacteria!

But most often, rats and mice do not show any signs of infection. Therefore, it is impossible to predict whether you are dealing with an infected animal.

For this reason, anyone

Rodent droppings and urine, whether rat or mouse, need to be “taken seriously.” It sounds funny, but it's true!

Most rodent-borne diseases will not cause long-term harm to a normal, healthy person.

But for some age groups they are dangerous, such as the very elderly, our babies, people with weakened immune systems (for example, due to cancer-related drug treatments) and pregnant women.

Rodents in human life

Rat droppings not only cause negative emotions in people - they are very dangerous. Therefore, you should not allow this type of rodent to appear in your apartment.

The influence of rats on human life:

They are carriers of dangerous infections such as plague, typhoid, toxoplasmosis, rabies and other diseases; rat feces contain pathogens in large quantities.
They disrupt a person’s emotional balance.
They cause economic damage and damage property.
They eat food supplies.
They damage electrical networks, thereby causing a fire in the room.

Etiology (routes of infection)

Adults can contract mouse fever in several ways.

Indirect contact with mouse feces or urine (airborne)

A common way for adults to contract mouse fever is by absorbing the virus from mice through inhalation of dust particles that have been contaminated with the feces or urine of an infected rodent. Dust particles contain infected rodent excrement and, when entering the upper respiratory tract, the virus infects the body. Those most susceptible to infection are people whose work may expose them to dust containing rodent excretions. These are janitors, cleaners, construction workers in old buildings, etc.

Direct contact with mouse urine and feces (nutritional route)

Mice feces or urine may contain viruses and bacteria. Thus, direct physical contact with mouse feces, especially if it is through open wounds or mucous membranes, can be a route of disease transmission to humans. Eating food or water contaminated with mouse droppings and urine can also cause a fever.

Bites and scratches

An infected mouse contains disease-causing bacteria and viruses on its teeth, in its saliva and under its claws. Therefore, scratches and mouse bites are often potential sources of infection for fever.

Insect bites

Fleas and ticks that can live in the fur of rodents can also become carriers of the disease. As a result, they can bite people. With this outcome of events, viruses and bacteria are transmitted to humans and cause mouse fever.

Contact with carcass

Mouse fever is an acute infectious disease, the active virus of which lingers in the tissue of a rodent even after its death. Contact of an adult with a mouse carcass without proper protection can cause infection transmission.

On a positive note.

Mouse fever is a “one-sided” disease. This means that it is transmitted only from mice to people. An infected person is not the source of the mouse fever virus. Mouse fever infection is not spread from person to person.

But for all this time, a single case of transmission of the disease from person to person was recorded in Argentina during the virus outbreak.

Methods of transmission

Like many wild animals, mice are carriers of various infections and diseases. How dangerous are mice in the house that have settled in the kitchen or basement, and whether a person can become infected with diseases from them - the answers to these questions will make many people think. After all, a person can become infected from rodents in various ways:

drinking water or food that may be contaminated with feces from a sick mouse;
inhalation of dust along with fur or mouse droppings;
contact with a rodent corpse;
when a person is bitten by a mouse;
through parasites that live in the fur of mice;
infection through the respiratory tract when staying in a room where there is a concentration of rodents.

Diseases transmitted to humans from mice can be very dangerous and even cause death. For many centuries, mice and rats were carriers of dangerous diseases, plague and typhoid. However, in the 21st century, these terrible infectious diseases are almost no longer encountered. But the list of what you can get infected from mice, i.e. infectious and parasitic diseases is still quite long.

Diseases acquired from mice

Salmonellosis

A disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella. A person can become infected through mouse droppings or by eating contaminated food. Mice carry salmonella and can transmit it to pets, and an infected person can spread the bacterium to healthy people.

Symptoms of the disease are similar to signs of intestinal disorders:

within 6-48 hours after infection, dizziness and fever appear;
vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea;
liver and heart failure, urinary tract infection and even infectious-toxic shock can develop very quickly.

Salmonellosis is now successfully treated with antibiotics, but there are forms of it that require long-term treatment and recovery from the disease.

Leptospirosis

The causative agent of the disease is the Leptospira bacterium, which is transmitted through the urine of sick animals into the ground and water. This type of infection is carried by different types of mice, wild rats, cats, dogs, livestock and some wild animals. A person can become infected after direct contact with a mouse that carries the disease, or by swimming through water or dirty products.

Leptospirosis is deadly to humans and is most often found in countries with tropical and temperate climates.

Clinical symptoms of the disease usually appear 2 weeks after infection:

feverish condition;
pain in joints and muscles;
yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, redness of the eyes;
nausea and vomiting;
inflammatory process in the kidneys, sometimes in the brain.

Treatment of leptospirosis is possible only in a hospital under the constant supervision of specialists, otherwise a serious complication may occur - Weil's disease, which manifests itself in renal and liver failure, possible bleeding and swelling of the brain, which can lead to death.

Tularemia

This disease is transmitted from mice to humans through blood-sucking pests: ticks and fleas that live in their fur. Having bitten a person, a tick transmits an infection to him, which is caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis. In rare cases, tularemia can be transmitted through raw meat, causing mouth ulcers.

Signs of the disease: an ulcer at the site of the insect bite, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and in severe cases, chest pain, cough and breathing problems.

Diseases transmitted by rodents

This disease is one of the most severe types; according to statistics, 5% of sick people die. Foci of infection in natural conditions are found in the Far Eastern regions of Russia and China. Fever is transmitted to humans by inhaling dust, which contains infection from a large number of field mice and rats, while working in the fields or at a construction site. Sometimes infection can occur through food contaminated by mice.

Distinctive signs of the disease: headaches, fever, digestive disorders, insomnia, severe thirst, redness and swelling of the face, possible hemorrhages on the skin, the kidneys are severely affected.

Yersiniosis

Another name for the disease is pseudotuberculosis, which is widespread throughout Russia and is found in the Far East. Yersiniosis is very difficult to diagnose due to the wide variety of clinical manifestations.

The causative agent is Eirsinia - a bacterium that settles on fruits and vegetables, withstands frost well, and dies only when boiled. The disease can be contracted from wild and domestic rodents through urine, mouse and rat droppings.

Symptoms of yersiniosis may appear after 20 days: weakness and fever, muscle pain, abdominal and joint pain, sore throat, loss of appetite, digestive problems, skin on the upper body becomes covered with pimples.

We invite you to read: Medvedka: description, lifestyle, harm and methods of control

Tapeworms

These parasites live in the bodies of mice and rats and can be transmitted through food or water that has come into contact with mouse feces. Worm eggs and larvae penetrate the human digestive system, become adults and begin to reproduce, which negatively affects human health.

Rabies

This disease is deadly for humans and animals. Rabies in mice and rats is extremely rare due to the fact that a bite from another animal ends in its death. Most often, rabid animals are found in the wild: foxes, raccoons, dogs, wild cats. However, bats are quite capable of becoming carriers of such a disease. If, after an animal bite, a person exhibits symptoms of brain inflammation, then we can talk about being infected with rabies.

Even if a person has never been bitten by a mouse, this does not mean that he is out of the risk zone. The variety of ways in which disease can be transmitted from mice is truly amazing.

You can become infected in the following ways:

consume food or water contaminated with feces of a sick animal;
inhale dust containing fur and droppings;
in direct contact with a decomposing rodent corpse;
immediately after the bite.

You can even get infected from your pet.

Just a century ago, the most common diseases carried by rodents included typhoid and plague. But at the moment, only isolated cases of death from infection with such infections are recorded. Therefore, doctors' attention is drawn to the following diseases.

Salmonellosis

One of the most common diseases carried by rodents is salmonellosis. Infection occurs through contact with mouse feces. The danger with salmonellosis is that an infected person can also pass the bacteria on to anyone else. One of the strains of salmonella (Enterica) provokes the development of typhoid fever. The disease must be promptly treated with antibiotics and vaccination because, otherwise, infectious-toxic shock may develop.

Salmonella

Leptospirosis

This infectious disease is caused by bacteria of the Leptospira species, which are found in the urine of infected rodents. Most often, Leptospira enters the human body (through the mouth, damaged mucous membranes of the eyes and nose) after direct contact with mouse urine.

Residents and guests of tropical and subtropical zones should be especially vigilant (the combination of high temperature and humidity is most favorable for the growth of bacteria directly in contaminated water). That is why all guidebooks strongly recommend that tourists not drink fresh water from open sources.

The first symptoms of leptospirosis develop approximately 14 days after infection. They can be easily confused with signs of regular flu:

headache;
chills;
muscle pain;
nausea;
vomit;
redness of the eyes;
diarrhea;
skin rash.

If treatment with special antibiotics is not started, a severe complication may develop: Weil's disease. Lack of proper therapy at this stage can lead to multiple organ failure, internal bleeding and death.

The causative agent of leptospirosis

The symptoms of Weil's disease are more “bright” than at the initial stage of leptospirosis and it is quite difficult to miss them:

jaundice;
swollen ankles, arms, or legs;
chest pain;
convulsions;
coughing up blood.

Tularemia

Tularemia is caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis. The disease can be transmitted from mice to humans by ticks and fleas. Arthropods feed on infected mouse blood, after which they can attach themselves to a healthy person or wild animal. In rare cases, transmission of bacteria occurs through consumption of raw, unprocessed meat.

Tularemia vectors

Symptoms may be accompanied by fever. The appearance of an ulcer at the site of a tick bite is considered the most common sign of infection. Lymph nodes may also become swollen. The most severe form of infection will be accompanied by cough, chest pain and difficulty breathing. If tularemia is caused by eating contaminated meat, mouth ulcers and tonsillitis will appear.

Bartonellosis

Bartonellosis is caused by a number of different species of Bartonella bacteria. The disease is transmitted from mice to domestic animals through the bites of arthropods (ticks, fleas, lice). Moreover, the disease can spread from an infected animal to a person through an ordinary scratch (which is why it is necessary to regularly take pets to the veterinarian).

Bartonella bacterium

Bartonellosis

Preventive measures

Maintaining cleanliness will prevent the appearance of harmful rodents in the apartment. Therefore, you should not be lazy to clean the room.

To prevent rats from getting under the floor, it is necessary to take basic preventive measures:

regularly get rid of garbage in the apartment;
do not allow any leftover food on the floor;
immediately throw away spoiled food;
wash dishes after every meal.

It is also always worth remembering that rats feel great near garbage cans and in the basements of residential buildings, since there is a large amount of spoiled food there, and the unpleasant smell attracts them.

Little gray mice look very cute. But…!!! They are a source of infection and very often are carriers of many diseases that can be dangerous for humans and often incompatible with life. High fever, severe headache, shortness of breath, lethargy or confusion, a rapidly spreading rash, sharp pain in the lumbar and kidney areas are obvious symptoms of mouse fever in adults.

According to analytical information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a number of infectious diseases are transmitted to people from rodents (field mice, rats, squirrels). Adults suffer the course of the disease much more severely than children. Their body is characterized by the appearance of extensive symptoms and the development of various complications, while sometimes it can only occur like a cold. Men aged 16-50 years are most susceptible to infection.

Incorrect or late diagnosis, incorrectly selected treatment or lack thereof can lead to death. Although there is no cure for the virus itself, supportive therapy makes it easier to cope with the disease.

Mouse fever

– a natural focal rare infectious disease with an acute course (hemorrhagic fever, accompanied by renal, pulmonary or cardiac syndrome), where the reservoir of the pathogen is an animal (rodent class).

The causative agent of the disease

: Hantavirus, having different strains.

Affected areas

: small vessels, renal apparatus, lungs, heart.

Geography

: A variant of the virus is common in Eurasia that causes renal syndrome, i.e. affects the kidneys. In this case, the disease has a medical name (HFRS), leading to mortality in 10% of cases. Epidemic nephropathy (EN), which is one of the types of HFRS, occurs mainly in Scandinavian countries, but its mortality rate is several times lower.

An infected rodent carries the infection for two years. And it is assumed that only certain types of virus can kill them too. In other cases, the virus does not pose a serious danger to the rodent.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is a rarer type of mouse fever, which occurs mainly in America. But, according to statistics, it leads to death approximately 7 times more often (76%).

Demography:

Anyone can get sick, but men aged 16-50 are at greater risk.

Incubation period

on average it lasts 12-15 days, but the individual tolerance of an adult, as well as the state of the immune system and predisposition to resistance, can increase the incubation period from up to 8 weeks.

Severity of the disease:

varies depending on the virus causing the disease. Infections caused by the Hantaan and Dobrava viruses tend to cause severe symptoms, while the Saaremaa and Puumala viruses are more easily tolerated. Full recovery may take several weeks or months.

Since we usually have murine fever, accompanied by renal syndrome, the article will focus mainly on it.

How to avoid getting infected with “mouse diseases” at the dacha

— Ivan Pavlovich, the summer season begins with cleaning the house and putting the area in order. What does it mean for summer residents?

— If you do not follow generally simple precautions, then summer residents have a fairly high risk of developing some serious infectious diseases, namely: leptospirosis, yersiniosis, pseudotuberculosis, listeriosis, tularemia, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. These largely similar severe acute diseases can occur after contact with rodents. Last year, in 2014, leptospirosis caused the death of two St. Petersburg residents.

— There is now an outbreak of tularemia in the Chelyabinsk region; usually by spring a high incidence rate is reported in the Samara region. Is the number of people hospitalized with fevers transmitted by rodents growing in St. Petersburg?

— The incidence of tularemia is growing and, fortunately, in our country, it is not as large as in other regions. If in 2012 we treated 4 people with this diagnosis, in 2013 - one, then last year there were already 13 such patients. In St. Petersburg, “imported” fevers from other regions are now more common: Novgorod, Pskov, Vologda regions, sometimes - from Leningradskaya. Last year, 1 person became infected in the Astrakhan region.

— Just a few years ago, by the end of winter and until summer, several departments were overcrowded with patients with yersiniosis and pseudotuberculosis. Why has infection in the city become such a rarity now?

“Apparently, this is due to the fact that in recent years the city has regularly carried out deratization - the destruction of rodents, which are the main sources and carriers of infection. When 10-15 years ago it was not carried out in a timely manner, indeed, patients with yersiniosis and pseudotuberculosis filled almost a third of the hospital beds. But the peak of infection occurred at the end of winter - the beginning of spring, and this was earlier than the beginning of the summer season. City residents mostly did not become infected at their dachas. At that time, there were huge vegetable warehouses in the city, where long-term storage of vegetables was practiced. And in these vegetable warehouses, mice and rats felt at ease: they gnawed vegetables and left their excrement on them. By the end of winter, the contamination of vegetables with bacteria became critical. When such vegetables got into public catering, it was precisely the lovers of fresh cabbage and carrot salads who became infected with “mouse diseases”. They were hospitalized with a severe fever, often in serious condition.

(Where to complain if there are rats running around in your yard, find out here)

— Nowadays, patients with such diagnoses are not admitted at all?

— Since the beginning of 2015, two people have been admitted with pseudotuberculosis and one with yersiniosis. Over the entire last year in St. Petersburg, pseudotuberculosis was diagnosed in 4 people and yersiniosis in 38 patients. With listeriosis, a similar spreading disease, we had 4 patients.

— You named 6 fevers that occur among us. Which of them are the most difficult and dangerous for humans?

— Leptospirosis is in first place in terms of severity of the disease and possible adverse complications. Yes, infections are happening less frequently now because there are fewer rats in the city. After all, they are the main carriers of infection. Nowadays, city dwellers are more likely to suffer from a type of Leptospira - the bacterium Leptospira canicola, transmitted through contact with dog excretions. The disease caused by it is milder and is not considered fatal. However, dogs also get leptospirosis, and their owners should vaccinate their animals against leptospirosis. In other regions unfavorable for leptospirosis (Pskov, Novgorod regions), another type of bacterium affects people - Leptospira icterohemorrhagica, spread by rodents. Infection with this type of bacteria leads to a very serious condition - hemorrhagic syndrome, people die from bleeding. Last year, two of the eleven patients with leptospirosis admitted to the Botkin hospital died.

In second place in terms of severity of the disease is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), or hemorrhagic nephrosonephritis. During the disease, blood vessels and kidneys are affected. Last year, 56 people suffered from this fever - they were infected in the Leningrad, Pskov, and Novgorod regions.

(Find out how you can become infected with leptospirosis on St. Petersburg beaches here)

— How do St. Petersburg residents most often become infected with “mouse diseases”? And can they be avoided?

— Now the most common source of infection is one’s own dacha or village house. At the beginning of the summer season, everything in the house should be thoroughly washed with alkaline solutions - furniture, floors, and dishes especially thoroughly. It is extremely important to do this if mice excrement is found in the house. Before you start cleaning, you should wear gloves - even the smallest injuries on your hands can cause infection.

(Read here what other dangers summer residents may face at the beginning of the season)

“They say that while working in the garden you can also become infected: the infection, entering the lungs with earthen dust, also causes illness.

— Such cases are described in the literature (aerosol route of infection), but in practice I have never seen this. Probably, the concentration of infection in the soil should be extremely high; this is rarely found in nature. Still, the main source of infection is the surfaces of objects - furniture, floors, things, dishes - contaminated with the excrement of infected mice. Upon contact with infected objects, microorganisms enter the bloodstream through wounds on the skin. In summer, you can become infected by swallowing water while swimming in lakes and reservoirs. The mucous membrane of the oral cavity is often injured and has defects. And then the infection can enter the human bloodstream, and an infectious process develops. It is important not to get injured while outside the city, wear gloves when working on soil, and not swallow raw water from sources. In general, water must be boiled.

— Southern fevers are spread through insects (West Nile fever, Crimean fever). Are our mosquitoes safe?

— In our geographical latitude, diseases of tropical climates do not occur - West Nile fever, Crimean hemorrhagic fever, Dengue fever and others.

Leptospirosis, tularemia, listeriosis, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, and tick-borne infections are found in natural foci of the Leningrad, Novgorod, and Pskov regions. The carriers that support the existence of pathogens in natural foci are ticks, mosquitoes and horseflies. These insects bite rodents, which become infected and, in turn, can transmit the infection through their bites to other animals, as well as people. Our mosquitoes are generally harmless, but the climate is gradually changing, and the situation may change too.

— How do the common “mouse diseases” manifest themselves?

- They all begin with a high fever - an increase in body temperature to 38-40°C. At the very beginning of the disease, symptoms of intoxication appear - along with fever, weakness, fatigue, headache, aches in muscles and joints, loss of appetite, nausea, and sometimes vomiting are felt. After a few days, clinical symptoms are differentiated according to each specific infectious disease. Thus, with yersiniosis and pseudotuberculosis, the gastrointestinal tract is affected, joint pain occurs, a rash appears, abdominal pain, mushy stool, and a jaundiced coloration of the skin is possible.

A rash, as well as jaundice, also occurs with leptospirosis, but, in addition, with this disease, a person experiences severe pain in the calf muscles, the kidneys are affected, and the amount of daily urine decreases, up to its complete absence. This is already a serious complication.

A decrease in the amount of urine is also characteristic of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. In general, the symptoms of leptospirosis and HFRS are very similar.

The peculiarity of tularemia is that patients develop a significant enlargement of a lymph node (lymphadenitis) in the inguinal or femoral or axillary areas (or elsewhere) within 2-3 days after the onset of the disease. Pneumonia may develop.

“It turns out that the first symptoms of these serious diseases are very similar to the flu. And not everyone goes to the doctor with this disease. So, should you call an ambulance if your temperature rises after cleaning your dacha?

“Indeed, the onset of these serious infectious diseases with high fever may resemble the flu. True, as a rule, there is no cough or runny nose. However, if a person has been to forests and summer cottages, the temperature rises to 39-40°C or higher and it does not decrease for two or more days, you should definitely consult a doctor. It's impossible to figure it out on your own. The sooner the diagnosis is known and treatment is prescribed, the greater the chance that the disease will not be severe. And since all fevers, diseases transmitted through rodents, have many similar symptoms, a comprehensive laboratory examination is necessary, which can be competently prescribed by an infectious disease specialist. And the most detailed studies can be performed only at the Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital named after. S.P. Botkin, since there is a full range of diagnostic equipment, and high-tech methods for identifying various pathogens of infectious diseases are used.

Irina Dontsova

What to do to avoid becoming a victim of “mouse” diseases?

— There are several important recommendations that must be followed. When opening the season in country and hunting lodges, lodges and any other premises that you use only in the warm season, be sure to do a wet cleaning using disinfectants;

- use protective clothing (robes, boots, mittens, masks) for cleaning, clear the territory of your summer cottage from garbage, dead wood, dead wood - burn it or take it to authorized landfills;

— wear the same protective clothing when cleaning old hay or straw, basements, attics, sheds, garages;

- do not catch or handle rodents or their corpses;

— make the premises impenetrable for rodents: close cracks, openings in residential and outbuildings, country houses, if the house has ventilation or other openings located low above the ground, cover them with a metal mesh, into which “the mouse will not slip through”;

— when working with soil, use gloves, and then be sure to wash your hands, never forget to wash your hands before each meal;

- never drink raw water;

- do not leave food (cereals, etc.) in places accessible to rodents for the winter, store food in tightly sealed containers inaccessible to rodents (in closed cabinets), throw away food spoiled by them;

— avoid the spontaneous formation of spontaneous landfills near gardening cooperatives, residential and outbuildings. They become a breeding ground for rodents.

What diseases are transmitted by rats and mice?

It is important here to emphasize the words “may” and “infected”, but not to dramatize the scale of the problem. Not every rat or mouse transmits these diseases, and even if they do, not every chicken or every person will catch them

Not every rat or mouse transmits these diseases

, and even if they do, not every chicken or every person will pick them up.

You've probably heard of salmonella, but you may not know that salmonella bacteria can be carried by rats and mice. Salmonellosis is transmitted to chickens and chickens through drinking water that contains rat and mouse droppings and urine.

Salmonellosis in the photo: Salmonella bacteria. I think they look cute, but what problems can there be with our bellies...

Contact with infected rat urine in bedding, feeder or water can cause the bacterial infection leptospirosis,

also known as Weil's disease. Can enter the human body through damaged skin or through mucous membranes during breathing.

Common house mice carry a virus that causes lymphocytic choriomeningitis. It is found in the saliva, urine and droppings of infected rodents.

It is believed that about 5% of domestic mice in Russia are carriers of infections, although they appear healthy and do not show any signs of infection. Most often, infection occurs by inhaling dust while cleaning the litter or nest in the chicken coop.

If you are not sure if you have rats or mice, still take every precaution when you clean your coop. Cover your mouth with a medical mask, do not breathe dust!

Can rats carry rabies?

To date, there are no known cases of rabies in rats. Hypothetically, rat rabies can exist; there are even theories according to which infected rodents die very quickly from this disease (within a few days), and therefore do not fall into the hands of scientists and do not have time to infect humans.

But the fact remains: rabies has never been discovered in rats and mice. Isolated cases of suspected human infection with this disease after rat bites have been documented in Poland, Israel, Thailand and Suriname, but their small number does not allow us to talk about any kind of systematicity.

It is important not to confuse rabies and tetanus. Sometimes these names are considered as synonyms, especially since tetanus can also develop after animal bites

However, the mechanism of development of tetanus itself is unique: its causative agent is present in the body of most animals and people, without causing harm to the owner. It becomes pathogenic only in the absence of oxygen. In particular, in bite sites under the skin, covered with dried blood, bacteria begin to produce tetanus toxin - one of the most powerful toxins in nature - which leads to the development of the disease. That is, rats cannot tolerate tetanus, but this disease can develop after their bites.

What is the danger of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome?

An infection caused by this virus can seriously affect a person's urinary system. “The first complication that we are afraid of is acute renal failure,” Rusanova noted.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, mouse fever can also lead to the development of diseases such as pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis and uric acid diathesis. The disease can be accompanied by secondary infections of a bacterial nature, which can cause the development of a number of dangerous diseases. Complications can be severe and lead to the death of the patient.

Preventive measures

To prevent mice from wanting to settle in a house or apartment, it is necessary to deprive them of the opportunity to find food and modest corners. All products must be hidden and garbage must be taken out. Place cotton pads with a few drops of essential oil of mint, wild rosemary, and wormwood in the corners.

Things need to be shaken up, neatly folded and closet doors closed tightly. Arrange wild rosemary and wormwood branches.

It is necessary to clear pantries and other places of trash and unnecessary things. Keep books on closed shelves. Fix all water leaks.

Regularly wipe the floors with vinegar or turpentine. Throw out the trash and wash the bin to remove odors.

Mouse fever

The causative agent of the disease

: Hantavirus, having different strains.

Affected areas

: small vessels, renal apparatus, lungs, heart.

Geography

An infected rodent carries the infection for two years. And it is assumed that only certain types of virus can kill them too. In other cases, the virus does not pose a serious danger to the rodent.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is a rarer type of mouse fever, which occurs mainly in America. But, according to statistics, it leads to death approximately 7 times more often (76%).

Demography:

Anyone can get sick, but men aged 16-50 are at greater risk.

Incubation period

Severity of the disease:

Since we usually have murine fever, accompanied by renal syndrome, the article will focus mainly on it.

How dangerous are mice and rats for humans?

I had never even thought about the danger of rodents to humans before. It turns out that they are carriers of many diseases.

An acquaintance who works at Rospotrebnadzor told me more about this.

Here's what I learned from our conversation:

Rodents are sources and carriers of many infections
. For example, they carry plague and pseudotuberculosis. They also take part in the spread of leptospirosis, salmonellosis, typhus, encephalitis, fever, anthrax, and trichinosis.
They spoil supplies
of food, vegetables, and grains.
Their actions damage
buildings, warehouses, houses, and pollute them with excrement.

Mice, rats, and other rodents are regulars in unclean places; they live in landfills, warehouses, and abandoned premises. They do not sit in one place, they constantly move to different buildings, houses, where they pollute them with their waste products. Thus, rodents are a kind of repository of harmful microbes.

Human infection occurs very easily in several ways:

Eating foods containing pest feces.
Touching contaminated things.
Drinking untreated water, such as from wells.
After insect bites that had contact with sick rodents.

An employee of Rospotrebnadzor gave me a small reminder:

If rodents appear in the room, immediately take measures to destroy them.
Do not eat foods that have traces of mice or rats, do not collect vegetables, berries, fruits, and mushrooms damaged by them.
Maintain cleanliness in the house and local area, remove garbage in a timely manner.

Rat bites and their dangers

Rats are also dangerous because they often bite people. Let us remember that with such bites there is a risk of infection with sodoku and tetanus, but even without that, the rodent bite itself is very painful and is often accompanied by bleeding. This is no wonder: with its jaws a rat can develop a pressure of up to 500 kg/cm2, which allows it to gnaw copper and lead.

Biting a human finger down to the bone is no problem for an adult rat. The bites themselves can fester when infected with a third-party bacterial infection, and without treatment, ulcers often develop at the site of the abscesses.

However, rats bite until they draw blood mainly for self-defense when they are caught or driven into a hopeless dead end. Very rare, but documented cases of these animals biting through the skin of sleeping people.

Rats often bite when they are very hungry. In this case, they tend to gnaw off the strong skin on the heels of humans; they also bite the feet of large animals; they can gnaw off the heels of elephants so that they cannot walk.

The famous animal trader Carl Hagenbeck had three elephants die in one night from rats gnawing on their feet. Small animals - rodents, lizards and frogs, birds in nests - are easily killed and eaten by rats. If this happens in a chicken coop or rabbitry, the damage from rats can be very serious.