3 Ways a Mouse Can Kill You

When it comes to household pests, mice may not immediately evoke the same level of fear as creatures like rats, centipedes, or raccoons. After all, a small, pink-eared mouse seems far less unsettling than some of the other pests we might encounter. However, don’t underestimate them: despite their size and seemingly harmless appearance, mice can actually pose serious health risks to humans.

Here are three ways a mouse could potentially be deadly:

1. Harmful Bacteria and Viruses

Direct contact with a live or dead mouse, its droppings, or urine can be dangerous, even fatal. Mice are known to carry a range of bacteria and viruses that can harm humans, including:

• Leptospirosis: This bacterial infection is spread through contact with rodent urine and can lead to severe liver and kidney damage or failure.
• Salmonellosis: This infection occurs when food or water becomes contaminated with rodent feces, potentially causing gastrointestinal illness.
• Tularemia: This bacterial disease can be contracted from a bite or scratch from an infected mouse. It causes high fever and can be particularly dangerous to vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly.

2. Electrical Fires

Mice have a tendency to chew on various materials, including electrical wiring. It’s not unusual for mice to enter areas like walls, attics, or basements, where they can gnaw on wires connected to heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters, electronics, and other household appliances. This not only leads to costly repairs but also increases the risk of an electrical fire in your home.

In the U.S., over 50,000 electrical fires occur each year, resulting in nearly 500 fatalities. Damage caused by mice is one potential trigger for these fires. The larger your mouse infestation, the higher the chances of electrical wiring being compromised.

3. Harmful Parasites

Mice are known to carry a variety of dangerous parasites, including mites, fleas, and ticks. A bite from any of these pests can lead to serious health issues, some of which can be fatal. These include:

• Bubonic plague: Transmitted by fleas carried by rodents, this disease can cause fever, skin lesions, and, in severe cases, death.
• Lyme disease: Spread by ticks, Lyme disease can lead to symptoms like fever, skin rashes, headaches, and joint pain. Over 300,000 people are infected with Lyme disease annually, and in some cases, it can be deadly.
• Pox: Carried by mites, pox can cause fever, lesions, and headaches.
• Typhus: Spread by fleas, typhus can result in severe respiratory issues.

While these diseases may seem mild to some, they can have a much more serious impact on individuals with weakened or compromised immune systems, such as young children, the elderly, and those with other health conditions. What’s particularly concerning is that you don’t need to come into direct contact with a mouse to be exposed to these parasitic diseases—the parasites themselves pose an added danger to anyone living in a home with a mouse infestation.