What do rats transmit? - briefly
Rats act as vectors for bacterial, viral and parasitic agents such as «Leptospira», «Hantavirus», «Salmonella» and the protozoan «Giardia». They also carry ectoparasites, notably fleas, which can transmit plague.
What do rats transmit? - in detail
Rats serve as vectors for a wide range of pathogens that cause serious illnesses in humans and domestic animals.
Bacterial agents transmitted by rodents include:
- Leptospira interrogans, the cause of leptospirosis;
- Salmonella spp., responsible for salmonellosis;
- Yersinia pestis, the bacterium behind plague;
- Streptobacillus moniliformis, which leads to rat‑bite fever;
- Bartonella henselae, associated with cat‑scratch disease when rodents act as reservoirs.
Viral infections spread by these mammals encompass:
- Hantavirus, producing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome;
- Lassa virus, a cause of Lassa fever in West Africa where rodents act as primary hosts;
- Seoul virus, a hantavirus subtype transmitted through rodent excreta.
Parasitic and protozoal agents include:
- Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm that can cause eosinophilic meningitis;
- Toxoplasma gondii, with rodents serving as intermediate hosts;
- Hymenolepis nana and other tapeworms transmitted via contaminated food.
Rickettsial organisms carried by rats comprise:
- Rickettsia typhi, the agent of murine typhus;
- Rickettsia akari, responsible for rickettsialpox.
Transmission pathways rely on direct contact with urine, feces, saliva, or bite wounds, as well as indirect exposure through contaminated food, water, or aerosolized particles.
Control measures focus on rodent population management, sanitation improvements, and public education about avoidance of contact with rodent excreta.
The cumulative effect of these diseases represents a significant public‑health concern, especially in densely populated urban environments where human‑rat interactions are frequent.