are mice dangerous

Are Mice Dangerous?

Dr. Ian Lipkin, a professor at Columbia University, said “If you have mice in your house, particularly if they’re in and around your living space, this is a potential health risk”. Mice are dangerous to humans for two main reasons: they carry infectious diseases and damage properties. If you often hear scratching sounds, see food packages and papers torn apart, and see a scampering mouse here and there, your house may probably be infested with mice. In this case, you should be concerned and immediately alert professional help to get rid of your mice problem. 

It is fact that a single mouse can carry a number of serious illnesses. This includes hantavirus, salmonellosis, and listeria which can spread in a human house through their urine, droppings, and saliva. 

  • Hantavirus can often be found in the urine and feces of a deer mouse, and they can easily be transferred to a human when they come into contact with those substances. As of now, there are 70 recorded cases of Hantavirus in Alberta alone. There are also cases found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Out of all these cases, 40% proved to be fatal, leading to death. So far, there is no cure for the Hantavirus which makes any mouse very dangerous to humans.
  • Salmonella is commonly referred to as food poisoning caused by the germs that are carried by mice. A mouse can walk all over the place in your house; this includes your kitchen pantry, your cupboards, bed, or literally anything. As a mouse run all over these places, it leaves bacteria that might contaminate your food or drinks. This can lead to a serious illness. 

All these diseases are deadly and can possibly infect all humans in a single house. Moreover, these diseases can spread rapidly, especially given the habit of a mouse. It is known that mice chew their way throughout the day; thus, their saliva can possibly be left in any part of your house. Aside from it posing health risks because a person can intake food that was already nibbled on by a mouse, this non-stop gnawing activity of a mouse can also cause potential dangers for your houses. 

Mice can gnaw through electrical wires, which can cause fire accidents. They can also chew through wood, which can destabilize any wooden structure in your house. A mouse infestation is a potentially dangerous situation to have. During situations like this, it is important that you professionally seek the help of trained pests controllers. Mice like to hide, they are also determined as they can crawl up into pipes and other openings just to evade human sightings. Personally, you can get rid of them by sealing up the cracks in your house, sealing up places around wires that lead outdoors, properly storing your food supply, and using a trap to lure them. 

However, these are only temporary solutions. They cannot effectively and one hundred percent get rid of all the mice in your house. If you want to ensure the safety of your family and your properties, immediately call an exterminator in Oakville. Not only will they conduct a thorough inspection of youse house and exterminate all of the mice, but they can also recommend steps that you undertake to further prevent the resurgence of mice in your house. 

Ehrlich. (n.d.). Are mice dangerous? In Ehrlich Website. Retrieved from https://www.jcehrlich.com/mice/are-mice-dangerous/

Government of Canada. (n.d.). Rats and mice. In Government of Canada Website.Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/pest-control-tips/rats-mice.html

McKechnie, B. (2016). What you need to know about mice in your home (and how to get rid of them). In Global News. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/1969268/what-you-need-to-know-about-mice-in-your-home-and-how-to-get-rid-of-them/

Zafar, A. (2018). City mice carry disease-causing bacteria with drug-resistant genes. In CBC New Online. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/mice-bacteria-antibacterial-resistance-1.4622435