Pest Health Threats: What You Should Know
Pests are an annoying problem for any homeowner. They can get into your cabinets and force you to throw out food and cause embarrassment when you have company, among other irritations. Pests are sometimes more than an annoyance, however. They can also be a threat to the health of you and your family. The following article takes a look at what homeowners should know about this critical issue.
Mice and Rats
Mice and rats pose a potentially serious health threat to human beings. The droppings of rats and mice can cause allergic reactions and transmit salmonella. These rodents can also carry serious diseases. For example, hantavirus is a disease that can affect the kidney and lungs and could be fatal in some instances. Rats and mice can transmit the disease through their droppings, urine, or the materials they use to make a nest.
Another serious disease these pests carry is lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), a viral disease transmitted by infected mice. About five percent of house mice in the country carry the virus. This disease is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and their fetuses. LCM poses a greater risk in the winter when house mice invade homes to escape cold temperatures outside.
Cockroaches
You might not think of the lowly cockroach as a health threat, but unfortunately, the pesky insect can cause various health problems. Cockroaches carry bacteria and can transmit disease-causing bacteria by contaminating food. Food contaminated by cockroaches can cause streptococcus, staphylococcus, and salmonella.
Another issue with cockroaches is that some people have allergic reactions to the droppings, saliva, and eggs of these pests. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises that children are even more vulnerable to these allergic reactions than adults.
Mosquitoes
It's well known that mosquitoes are carriers of disease and often transmit serious diseases to humans. Mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. More commonly in the United States, mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of the West Nile virus. The diseases caused by mosquitoes are often quite serious and even fatal in some cases.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are not known to carry severe diseases, but they are still a potential health threat. For instance, bed bug bites often cause people to scratch the bite area excessively, which irritates the skin. This could leave the skin vulnerable to infection. Also, some people might have a serious allergic reaction to a bed bug bite that would need treatment from a healthcare provider.
Clearly, some pests are sources of diseases and health issues that impact humans. For this reason, you should never ignore a pest problem. To learn more, contact a pest control service.