Rodent Diseases in Texas
Rats and mice can spread hantavirus, leptospirosis and rat-bite fever, and rat fleas carry murine typhus. Most risk comes from droppings, urine, bites and fleas, and most of it is avoidable.
Call a local technician (254) 276-0111Most rodent problems are a nuisance, not a medical emergency. But rats and mice can carry germs that make people sick, and a few of those diseases show up in Texas. Knowing how each one spreads tells you what precautions matter. Here is a summary based on the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services. It is general information; see a doctor if you are sick.
Hantavirus
The CDC says people get hantavirus from contact with rodents, especially their urine, droppings and saliva. Bites and scratches can spread it, but that is rare. The most common hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the United States is spread by the deer mouse. Texas A&M AgriLife training material also lists the white-footed mouse, rice rat and cotton rat as known carriers in North America.
Symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome usually start one to eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 43 confirmed cases in Texas from 1993, the first year it was detected, through 2014. It is rare, but serious.
The risk is highest when cleaning closed spaces where field mice have been: sheds, barns, cabins, garages and storage units. Our droppings guide shows what to look for. That is why the CDC says to air the space out, wear gloves and wet droppings with disinfectant before wiping them up, and never to sweep or vacuum.
Leptospirosis
The CDC says the bacteria that cause leptospirosis spread through the urine of infected animals, including rats and mice. People can get infected through contact with water or soil containing that urine, through contact with an infected animal's body fluids, or by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Symptoms usually start 2 to 30 days after exposure and can include fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting and red eyes; some people have none.
The CDC advises avoiding wading in water that might be contaminated with animal urine, especially after floods or heavy rain, and covering cuts with waterproof bandages. That matters in Central Texas after flash floods along creeks and drainage.
Rat-bite fever
The CDC describes rat-bite fever as an infection people can get from contact with rodents. The bacteria are part of the normal germs in those rodents, and carriers look healthy. It spreads through scratches, bites, or contact with a rodent's saliva or urine, and through contaminated food or drink. Symptoms usually begin 3 to 10 days after contact, and can appear up to 21 days later. It does not spread from person to person.
If a rat or mouse bites or scratches you, wash the wound and see a doctor. A bite inside the house is also a reason to call about emergency rodent removal.
Murine typhus
Murine typhus, also called flea-borne typhus, is caused by bacteria carried by fleas. The Texas Department of State Health Services says people get it from infected fleas, whose feces carry the bacteria into bite wounds or scratches. Rats and their fleas are the main natural carriers, and opossums and cats can be involved. DSHS says most Texas cases occur in South Texas, from Nueces County to the Rio Grande Valley, with a few elsewhere each year.
Symptoms include headache, fever, nausea and body aches, often followed by a rash. DSHS recommends keeping rodents, opossums and stray cats out of the yard by clearing brush and trash, mowing, keeping firewood off the ground, not leaving pet food out overnight, and controlling fleas on pets.
Protecting your household
- Seal gaps so rodents stay out of the living space
- Use snap traps, not glue traps or live traps, which the CDC says cause frightened rodents to urinate
- Clean droppings the CDC way: ventilate, gloves, disinfectant, paper towels, no sweeping or vacuuming
- Store food in hard containers and keep pet food off the floor overnight
- Treat pets for fleas
- See a doctor after a bite or scratch, or if you get sick after cleaning up after rodents
For big cleanups, hire them out. See droppings cleanup.
Common questions
- Do house mice carry hantavirus?
- The CDC says the deer mouse spreads the most common hantavirus that causes HPS in the U.S. Field mice, not the typical house mouse, are the main concern, but any rodent droppings should be cleaned carefully.
- Is murine typhus a risk in Killeen?
- Texas DSHS says most cases occur in South Texas, with a few elsewhere each year. Controlling rats, opossums and fleas lowers the risk anywhere.
- Can I get sick from cleaning mouse droppings?
- Yes, if dust from droppings is stirred into the air. Ventilate, wear gloves and wet the droppings with disinfectant before wiping them up.
- What should I do after a rat bite?
- Wash the wound with soap and water and see a doctor. The CDC says rat-bite fever symptoms usually show up 3 to 10 days later.