Rat urine can cause several serious illnesses in humans, primarily the bacterial infection leptospirosis (also known as Weil's disease), as well as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome and Salmonellosis.
The Weil's disease form of leptospirosis is contracted from the urine of infected rats. The bacteria get into your body through cuts and scratches or through the lining of the mouth, throat and eyes after contact with infected urine or contaminated water.
In people, leptospirosis can cause a wide range of symptoms, including:
Health Threats from Rodent Infestation
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS): an often deadly disease transmitted by rodents through urine, feces, or saliva. Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in dried, aerosolized secretions.
If you do make contact, wash the affected body part thoroughly with soap and water. To clean areas where rats may have been, use one part household bleach and 10 parts water, which kills the leptospirosis bacteria. Wear gloves and goggles.
Rat-bite fever is a bacterial disease that spreads through infected rats or rodents — usually a bite or a scratch. Symptoms vary according to what type of bacteria causes rat-bite fever. But they generally include headache, skin rash and fever. They may also include joint and muscle pain or swollen lymph nodes.
In most recorded cases, symptoms develop 1 to 8 weeks after exposure. Early symptoms, such as fever, dry cough, body aches, headaches, diarrhea and abdominal pain, are similar to many other viral illnesses. This may prevent an HPS diagnosis before the illness progresses.
The urine itself isn't dangerous, and the smell doesn't pose a risk to you or your family — but the viruses that may be hiding in mouse urine or feces can make you very sick. Hantavirus, according to the CDC, can cause a fever, severe muscle aches, and respiratory problems in people of all ages.
Hantavirus has been fatal in more than one-third of the nearly 600 cases reported since it was first recognized in 1993 in the Four Corners region of New Mexico. Hantavirus infections have been reported across the United States but occur most often in western states.
Hantavirus antibody-positive rodents have been found across Australia although, to date, there are no reports of infections in humans. This could be due to misdiagnosis clinically and/or inadequate laboratory technique/skills.
First phase (septicemic phase): About 5 to 14 days after infection occurs, fever, headache, sore throat, severe muscle aches in the calves and back, and chills occur suddenly. The eyes usually become very red on the third or fourth day. Some people cough, occasionally bringing up blood, and have chest pain.
About 100 to 200 people are usually diagnosed with leptospirosis in Australia every year. Most infections are mild, but it can be serious, especially for certain groups. Leptospirosis can occur across Australia but is more common in humid or tropical areas.
Symptoms of leptospirosis may include:
Hantavirus most commonly comes from rodent droppings, urine and saliva. Though deer mice are the most common carriers' other types of mice and rats can get it as well.
Testing. CDC uses an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect IgM antibodies and diagnose acute infections with hantaviruses. This diagnostic method is used to diagnose both HPS and HFRS.
Leptospirosis is a disease that spreads from animals to humans, caused by infection with the bacteria Leptospira. The most common sources of infection are contact with the urine of infected animals and/or contaminated soil or water. Outbreaks may occur following periods of heavy rain or flooding.
Symptoms of hantavirus typically develop 1-8 weeks after exposure to rodents or rodent droppings and may be non-specific, including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, and cough.
The hantavirus is destroyed by detergents and readily available disinfectants such as diluted household bleach or products containing phenol (e.g., Lysol®). Choose an agent that is compatible with the item, object or area to be cleaned and disinfected.
The symptoms usually start about two weeks after exposure but the incubation period can be as short as three days or as long as six weeks. How is the virus spread? The main way that hantavirus is spread to humans is by breathing air contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or saliva.
Hantaviruses can cause serious illness that affects your lungs and kidneys. Hantaviruses are spread from rodents to people. When fresh urine, droppings, or nesting materials of an infected rodent are stirred up, the virus can get into the air. You can become infected with the virus by breathing in the contaminated air.
Early symptoms such as fever, headache muscle aches, nausea, and fatigue are easily confused with influenza. If you suspect hantavirus disease, see a physician immediately and mention a potential rodent exposure. State laboratories and CDC can confirm a diagnosis through testing.
Can you survive hantavirus? Yes, early medical care increases survival chances. However, without treatment, hantavirus can be deadly. Seek medical attention immediately if you have flu-like symptoms after rodent exposure.
“But antibodies created by the immune system can bind to the hantavirus spike proteins and prevent this from happening.
The first stage of HPS is the incubation (development) phase. This phase can last up to eight weeks. During this period, you have the hantavirus, but you don't have any outward signs of infection.
The time from infection with the hantavirus to the start of illness is usually about 2 to 3 weeks.