What diseases do mice carry? - briefly
Mice serve as reservoirs for numerous zoonotic agents, such as hantavirus, leptospira, salmonella, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, and Yersinia pestis, which can reach humans through bites, contaminated food, or aerosolized excreta. They also transmit parasites like Toxoplasma gondii and other bacterial pathogens.
What diseases do mice carry? - in detail
Mice serve as natural reservoirs for a broad spectrum of pathogens that can be transmitted to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Contact with mouse urine, feces, saliva, or bites provides routes for infection.
Bacterial agents
- Salmonella spp.: causes gastroenteritis and systemic infection after ingestion of contaminated food or water.
- Leptospira interrogans: induces leptospirosis, presenting with fever, headache, and renal impairment.
- Yersinia pestis: the causative agent of plague, transmitted through flea bites after mice become infected.
- Streptobacillus moniliformis: responsible for rat‑bite fever, also reported after mouse bites.
- Bartonella henselae: can lead to cat‑scratch disease; mice may act as secondary reservoirs.
Viral agents
- Hantaviruses (e.g., Sin Nombre virus): cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, characterized by rapid respiratory failure.
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV): produces febrile illness, meningitis, or encephalitis, especially in immunocompromised hosts.
- Arenaviruses such as Lassa virus: occasional spillover from rodent hosts, leading to hemorrhagic fever.
- Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV): primarily a laboratory concern but can infect immunodeficient individuals.
Parasitic agents
- Toxoplasma gondii: mice act as intermediate hosts; human infection occurs through ingestion of tissue cysts.
- Heligmosomoides polygyrus: intestinal nematode causing gastrointestinal distress in rodents, with limited zoonotic potential.
- Protozoan parasites like Giardia duodenalis: transmitted via contaminated water or surfaces, leading to diarrheal disease.
Fungal agents
- Dermatophytes such as Trichophyton mentagrophytes: cause cutaneous infections after direct contact with contaminated fur or bedding.
Transmission risk increases in settings with poor sanitation, dense rodent populations, or occupational exposure (e.g., laboratory work, pest control). Control measures focus on rodent exclusion, proper waste management, and personal protective equipment when handling rodents or their excreta.