Harris County, Houston Rat Control Situation:
Dear Pest Control Agency, My name is Juan and I am working on my doctoral dissertation in Biology at Rice University, Houston, Texas. I have an undergraduate researcher who helps me with my research, and we both work in the laboratory of Prof. Michael. We have studied rats and mice in Europe, and we use the information to study a number of questions, including how rodent populations are connected between continents or within countries. One part of our work deals with the question of whether rats and mice in the US have developed resistance to rodent poisons, about which little is known. Our hope is that during pest control you will be able to obtain the tail tips (about 1 inch) of rats and mice that can be found at rodent infested sites. These could be collected from dead animals, and of course, we would send you everything you would need (scissors, tubes, gloves, prepaid shipping, etc.). If you decide to help us in our research, we would like to offer you a Domino's giftcard as a thank you for your efforts! We have received a large amount of support from a few pest control agencies so far. It would be wonderful if you would also consider helping us! Attached is a simple spreadsheet where a few details on the sampling are described. We do not need any specific information regarding locations where sampling was done, and no names of owners or of employees, etc. are needed. However, if you would like we would be more than happy to promote your company name in our research paper! Please feel free to contact us by email or phone if you have any other questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, Juan
Houston Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Are Possible Diseases Rats Can Carry?
Apart from causing severe damage to the structure of houses, rats are major carriers of life-threatening diseases. This simply shows how important it is for you to remove them from your home and make sure they don't find their way back.
Disease transmission from rats to humans can occur through several routes. These include;- Human exposure to wastes of rats such as feces, saliva, nesting materials, and urine while handling or removing them from homes.
- Bites from rats that are infected.
- Unsafe handling of rats (touching of rats without wearing gloves) and eating food that is contaminated with rat feces, urine, or saliva.
Diseases can be transmitted from rats through any of the above means. This clearly shows that if you have rats running around your home, you are at a high risk of getting infected. The following are some of the possible diseases rats can carry.
1. Hantavirus
This particular disease is one of the most life-threatening diseases that rats carry. Currently, Hantavirus is yet to have a known cure, vaccine, or treatment. Some of the symptoms of this particular disease include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.
2. Salmonella
This particular disease is a bacterial infection carried in the digestive tracts of rats. When they pass feces, it usually contains a large proportion of this bacteria. If by mistake you consume any food substances that are contaminated with this bacteria, you might contract Salmonella. Some of the symptoms of this disease include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, chills, nausea, and abdominal cramps.
3. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus
This disease is another life-threatening disease that rats transmit to humans when there is contact. LCMV is capable of causing encephalitis and meningitis if not quickly managed at its early phase.
4. Rat-bite Fever
Unlike other types of diseases, rat-bite fever is only transmitted when a rat bites you. The bacteria of this disease is found in the saliva of rats. The symptoms of this infection include high fever, muscle pain, headaches, and skin rash.
