What can be contracted from rats? - briefly
Rats are vectors for infections such as leptospirosis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, plague, salmonellosis, and rat-bite fever. Contact with rodent urine, feces, saliva, or bites can transmit these illnesses.
What can be contracted from rats? - in detail
Rats serve as reservoirs for a wide range of pathogens that can be transmitted to humans through direct contact, bites, contaminated food, water, or aerosolized particles. The most significant agents fall into bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal groups.
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Leptospira interrogans – spirochete causing leptospirosis. Transmission occurs when skin or mucous membranes encounter urine‑contaminated water or soil. Early symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle pain; severe cases may lead to kidney failure, liver dysfunction, or meningitis.
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Salmonella spp. – bacteria responsible for salmonellosis. Ingestion of food or water tainted with rat feces introduces the organism. Clinical picture comprises gastroenteritis with abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever; invasive infection can cause bacteremia.
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Yersinia pestis – agent of plague. Fleas that feed on infected rats transmit the bacterium to humans. Forms include bubonic (painful lymph node swelling), septicemic (bloodstream infection), and pneumonic (lung involvement). Prompt antibiotic therapy is essential to reduce mortality.
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Streptobacillus moniliformis – causative organism of rat‑bite fever. Direct inoculation through a bite or scratch introduces the bacterium. Symptoms appear within a week and consist of fever, rash, polyarthralgia, and sometimes endocarditis.
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Hantavirus – family of viruses carried by rodent excreta. Inhalation of aerosolized urine, droppings, or saliva can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Early signs include fever, myalgia, and gastrointestinal upset; rapid progression may result in respiratory failure.
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Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) – transmitted via contaminated rodent secretions. Infection often presents as a mild febrile illness but may cause meningitis, encephalitis, or severe complications in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women, potentially resulting in fetal loss.
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Bartonella henselae – bacterium associated with cat‑scratch disease but also isolated from rats. Contact with rat fleas or scratches can lead to localized lymphadenopathy, fever, and, rarely, bacillary angiomatosis in immunodeficient patients.
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Angiostrongylus cantonensis – rat lungworm. Humans acquire infection by ingesting intermediate hosts (snails, slugs) or contaminated produce. The parasite migrates to the central nervous system, causing eosinophilic meningitis with severe headache, neck stiffness, and neurological deficits.
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Cryptococcus neoformans – encapsulated yeast found in rat droppings. Inhalation of spores may result in pulmonary infection and, in immunosuppressed hosts, disseminated disease with meningoencephalitis.
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Rickettsia typhi – agent of murine typhus. Flea feces deposited on skin or mucous membranes introduce the organism. Clinical manifestations include fever, rash, and headache; untreated cases may progress to severe systemic involvement.
Each pathogen demands specific preventive measures: rodent control, sanitation, protective equipment when handling rodents or contaminated materials, and prompt medical evaluation after exposure. Early diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial or antiviral therapy significantly improve outcomes.