If you’re noticing signs of mice in your house, it may beg the question: can mice carry rabies? As a potentially fatal disease, it’s worth doing your due diligence to find out if you’re at risk of catching rabies. Clegg’s Pest Control is here to tell you that yes, mice can carry rabies, but they’re not known to spread it to humans. That being said, there are plenty of good reasons to want to keep mice out of your home.
If you suspect that there are mice or rats in your home, contact the heroes from Clegg’s Pest Control today. Our team of knowledgeable rodent control specialists will help you eliminate your rodent problem and provide you with peace of mind. Give us a call or fill out the online contact form below to claim your complimentary initial inspection.
What Is Rabies?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies is a fatal virus that infects the central nervous system. Only mammals can get rabies, and it is most common in wild animals, including foxes, bats, raccoons and skunks. If left untreated, rabies spreads to the brain and kills its victim. It is transmitted by broken skin or mucous, or any other direct contact with the rabies virus. Most animals and people get rabies from an infected animal bite. Contact with urine, blood, or feces cannot result in rabies transfer.
Any mammal can get rabies, including mice and other rodents, but the virus is most common in larger animals. According to the CDC, small rodents such as chipmunks, rats, hamsters, mice, squirrels and guinea pigs have not spread rabies among humans. A 1990 study revealed that rabies cases involving rodents were directly related to groundhogs. Although mice are not known for carrying rabies, they have other diseases and can contract rabies because they are mammals.
How Do you Treat Rabies?
The quicker rabies is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome. If a person is bitten by an animal known to have rabies, they will receive a series of shots to prevent the virus from taking over the body. Patients receive a fast-acting shot near the site of the bite immediately after an attack. The next 14 days consist of four vaccines that help the body identify the virus and fight it. If you are bitten by a mouse or another animal that you think has rabies, the animal can be observed or tested, indicating whether the animal is infected or not. An animal observed for ten days that remains healthy does not have rabies. A direct fluorescent antibody test can also indicate whether an animal is infected or not. If rabies goes untreated, it becomes fatal. Once the symptoms and signs of the infection are present, survival with treatment is rare.
Are Mice Dangerous?
While mice don’t typically spread rabies to humans, they can cause issues in different ways. Mice are known to carry and spread a variety of diseases, including hantavirus, salmonellosis, monkeypox, and more. Some of these diseases don’t even require direct contact to facilitate transmission, but can be spread through urine or droppings. Thankfully, our team of pest experts at Clegg’s Pest Control have the skills to remove problem rodents from homes and businesses across the state of North Carolina.
Choose Clegg’s Rodent Control Services
Keep your family safe from rabid critters with Clegg’s Pest Control. Common household pests, including mice and rats, potentially carry harmful diseases. At Clegg’s Pest Control, we put our clients’ safety first by preventing these critters from invading your home. Contact us today to schedule your complimentary initial inspection and ensure that your home is rodent free. If you have any questions about mouse and rat control give us a call or fill out the online contact form below. One of our friendly team members will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
