How many diseases do mice carry? - briefly
Mice serve as reservoirs for roughly 30‑40 identified zoonotic diseases, encompassing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Notable examples include Salmonella, hantavirus, and various tapeworm species.
How many diseases do mice carry? - in detail
Mice host a broad spectrum of pathogens, encompassing bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Studies of wild rodent populations estimate that an individual can harbor between 20 and 40 distinct infectious agents, while community-level surveys identify over 100 species of microbes associated with the species.
- Bacterial agents: Salmonella spp., Leptospira interrogans, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bartonella spp., Yersinia pestis, Clostridium difficile, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Mycobacterium avium complex.
- Viral agents: Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Hantavirus, Mouse hepatitis virus, Sendai virus, Mouse norovirus, and several arenaviruses.
- Parasitic agents: Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Hymenolepis nana, and various nematodes such as Trichuris muris.
- Fungal agents: Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and dermatophytes like Trichophyton mentagrophytes.
Laboratory mouse colonies, maintained under specific-pathogen‑free conditions, typically carry fewer than five designated agents, but accidental breaches can introduce additional microbes. In contrast, urban and agricultural environments expose wild mice to greater microbial diversity, reflected in higher pathogen counts.
Serological and molecular surveys reveal that many pathogens coexist asymptomatically, allowing mice to act as reservoirs without overt disease. Zoonotic potential varies: Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and Hantavirus pose significant human health risks, while others, such as certain enteric bacteria, primarily affect animal hosts.
Overall, the pathogen load in mice is extensive, with documented agents exceeding one hundred species across taxonomic groups, and the actual number likely remains higher due to undetected or emerging microorganisms.