There are many types of household and yard pests, including insects, rodents, and wildlife. Along with their annoying presence, they can cause significant damage to your home. This ranges from termites chewing their way through the walls to squirrels who nest in the attic. Your outdoor areas are also gathering places for pesky mosquitoes. These pests can also prove dangerous to your health by carrying harmful diseases such as these:
Ingesting salmonella bacteria means you are in for a miserable time. Salmonellosis causes fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps and easily transmits to others through poor hygiene habits. Although most people recover in a day or two, the disease is estimated to affect 1 million people in the U.S. each year. Of that number, 19,000 require hospital care and almost 400 people die. Cockroaches and flies can transmit salmonella bacteria onto food that is then eaten by humans. The pest control experts at Terminix offer effective roach treatment for your home.
Tularemia is caused by bacteria that is spread by flies, ticks, and contact with infected animals, such as rodents. Humans can ingest the bacteria by breathing in contaminated dust. Symptoms can include skin ulcers, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and, on occasion, throat infection or pneumonia. There are about 200 cases in the U.S. each year.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Another rodent-borne disease, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, has a mortality rate of 36 percent. Early symptoms are flu-like muscle aches, fever and fatigue, followed by difficulty breathing as the victim’s lungs fill with fluid. Shortness of breath can quickly deteriorate into acute respiratory failure and there is no recognized treatment or cure. Inhaling airborne particles of infected rodent droppings is the way Hantavirus transfers to humans.
Ticks carry Lyme disease, passing it to humans through their bite. A headache, fatigue, and fever are the symptoms, which are accompanied by a rash. Most cases respond to antibiotics. However, the infection can spread to the heart and nervous system if not treated. Ticks don’t typically survive indoors unless they can find a supply of hosts, which are usually rodents or other animals. Dogs and cats can carry them indoors, where they can then drop off.
West Nile Virus
Mosquitoes spread West Nile virus through their bites and many cases have been reported throughout the U.S. Only about 20 percent of those who are infected develop symptoms, which include fever, muscle aches, joint pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches. Severe illnesses can result in symptoms that include stupor, disorientation, coma, muscle weakness, loss of vision, paralysis, and, in some cases, death. Most people with this disease recover fully in time, although symptoms of weakness and fatigue can linger up to several months.
Dangers to Your Family
Diseases such as these are dangerous to your family’s health, causing symptoms that range from flu-like aches to severe pain and even death. Roaches are especially hard to kill because they are good at hiding, reproduce at a fast rate, and can develop a resistance to pesticides. You should click here.if you want to learn more about the dangers posed by pests. Contact Terminix for a free home inspection and treatment options.