Pests can cover a huge range of different animals; including but not limited to spiders, fleas, bees, bed bugs, ants, wasps, rats, mice, termites, cockroaches and even mosquitoes.
Thankfully many pests don’t actually offer a threat to human health; if they even bite it will be more of an inconvenience than a health risk. For example no one has actually died from a spider bite since 1979. Of course there are some health risks involved with pests and their invasion of your home. That’s why if you have or suspect you have a problem you need to click here in order to find out more about pest control firms and how they can remove an infestation for you.
Pests themselves will not usually attack a human unless they have no other option. However, if they do the real risk is in what diseases they may carry in their blood. Many pests are capable of carrying bacteria in their blood without being affected by it themselves; when they bite you they can pass on the bacteria and make you very ill.
The most common health risks from bites are:
- • Mosquitoes – transmit Ross River virus, Barmah Frest virus, Dendue virus and Murray Valley encephalitis virus. It has also been suggested that mosquitoes can carry flesh eating disease; which is on the increase.
- • Deer Ticks – can carry Lyme disease.
- • Rats – plague, salmonellosis, leptospirosis and tularemia.
- • Flies – Typhoid, dysentery, chlorea, anthrax, salmonella and tuberculosis.
This is why it is important to use insect repellant and make sure you take steps to keep pests out of your home.
Don’t forget that it is not just being bitten that you need to worry about; a pest can pass on any number of harmful bacteria through their urine and droppings. If these are left on a surface which you or your food come into contact with then you are at risk of contracting the bacteria and becoming ill.
But this is not the only health threat posed by pests:
Bees stings or even those from wasps can cause death through anaphylactic shock. This is a common problem throughout the world.
You will also find that asthma and other breathing problems can arise from the presence of dust mites. These pests are so small that they are often overlooked but their presence is real and a viable threat to anyone with sensitive lungs.
Cockroach waste is also known for causing allergic reactions and worsening cases of asthma.
This is why it is essential to keep a clean home; this will discourage all types of pests as they will have no source of food or water.
If you think you have a pest issue then you need to take action straight away. The quicker you get rid of the issue the less at risk you and your family will be. However, if you are bitten or concerned that a pest has transmitted a disease to you then you need to monitor it carefully.
If symptoms are severe or don’t improve within a few days you’ll need to get medical intervention.