Rats may look cute, but no one wants them to be in their home. They carry disease, can cause bites, and can also chew electrical systems in your home and increase the risk of fire. A rat bite can cause a wide range of problems including serious ones.
So, what are the issues that can be caused by a rat bite? Find out in this guide.
The common symptoms of a rat bite include pain, swelling, redness, and a pus-filled wound if the area gets infected. Rats have large teeth and can cause painful bites. Some rat species carry serious diseases in their saliva. Examples of such diseases include:
- Hantavirus
- Leptospirosis
Rarely, rat bite patients have been known to develop rat-bite fever. If you get bitten, you are also likely to develop tetanus infections. You should call a pest control sydney service at the first sign of rats on your property.
Signs & Symptoms of Rat Bites
Besides the above-mentioned signs of rat bites, some symptoms can be related to bacterial infections. There are different types of rat-bite fevers including streptobacillary and spirillary.
Even when healthy rats bite you, it can lead to severe pain. The bite is usually followed by pain, redness, bleeding, and swelling in some cases. The symptoms can vary from mild to more serious ones.
- Mild Symptoms: Pain, swelling, and redness
- Infection & Rat-Bite Fever: Fever, chills, affected area becomes warm to touch, pus-weeping wound, throbbing pain, skin rash, and vomiting.
- Leptospirosis: Headache, high fever, abdominal pain, muscle ache, diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, and red eyes.
Muscle ache, joint pain, vomiting, fever, headache, and rash are usual symptoms of streptobacillary rat-bite fever. The symptoms can appear 3 to 10 days after a bite by an infected rat. Spirillary rat-bite fever usually causes repetitive fever, swelling at the point of bite, and ulcer. It can also cause swelling in the lymphatic nodes and rash. The symptoms appear 1 to 3 weeks after you are bitten by an infected rodent.
Can You Get Rabies from Rat Bites?
It is extremely rare for rats to be infected with rabies. Rat bites are not known for transmitting this disease to human beings. While rabies is extremely dangerous and fatal in most cases, it is not present in Australia and New Zealand.
If you experience a rat bite, it is important to seek medical attention. This becomes even more important if you experience any of the above-mentioned signs or symptoms such as muscle ache, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, or fatigue.
Getting Rid of Rats
You cannot take the health and well-being of your family for granted. If you have a rat problem in or around your home, it is important to seek professional service for rat pest control near me. Effective rat eradication requires the removal of both nest materials and dead rodents. If you notice any signs of rat infestation, it is important to consult a professional service instead of taking things into your own hands.