If you are bitten by a rat, your first concern is catching a disease. One of the diseases you can catch is known as the “rat-bite fever.” According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rat-bite fever is an infectious disease transmitted by an infected rat. A person can contract this disease from a rat’s bite, scratch and by eating food or drinking water contaminated by an infected rat’s feces.
Two types of bacteria are responsible for rat-bite fever. These are the Spirillum Minus and Streptobacillus Moniliformis. The symptoms of rat-bite fever depend on these two bacteria. If you experience a fever with headaches, vomiting, back pain, joint pain and a rash on your feet and hands within two to four days after the fever, you likely have the Streptobacillus form of rat-bite fever. This type of rat-bite fever occurs three to ten days after exposure from the rat.
On the other hand, the Spirillum form of rat-bite fever develops one to three weeks after exposure from an infected rat. Symptoms of this disease include a fever, swollen lymph nodes, a swollen and irritated wound site, and a rash that develops after the bite wound starts healing.
Rat-bite fever can be treated with prescribed antibiotics. If left untreated, this disease can become fatal, causing death.
The risk of rat-bite fever can be reduced by avoiding contact with rats, paying careful attention to hygiene in your home and terminating any infestations early. If you want your home to be rat-free, contact us at Advantage Pest Control. We offer home protection plans that can help prevent rat infestations.
– Paolo Bossio
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