Mice and Rats:
Furry rodents may look cute, but the
creatures live wild dirty lives and are responsible for spreading many
dangerous and even deadly infections. The most common rodent
infection transmission routes is urine and feces, so take special precautions
to avoid inhaling or ingesting these potentially contaminated substances when cleaning a rodent
infested area. Therefore,
you should always wear a mask and plastic gloves when cleaning rodent infested
areas. Thoroughly
clean and disinfect, with hot water and detergent, all sheets, pillow cases,
blankets, and towels that have come in contact with rodent waste. Don't
use a vacuum cleaner. The resulting air currents may kick up pathogen
containing dust that mixes with the air and is easily inhaled. Contact your physician
immediately if you develop fever or flu symptoms after cleaning a rodent
infested room or house.
Use precautions whenputting out rodent poison. Put the poisons in areas where they will not be ingested by pets or children. One or more of four compounds are usually found in rat poison; they include Bradificoum, Difacinone, Warfarin, and Bromadiolone. All four compounds deactivate vitamin K dependent clotting factors. If someone deliberately or accidently ingests one of these compounds, he may subsequently suffer from ecchymosis (bleeding in the skin), epistaxis (nose bleeds), gum bleeds, flank pain (due to internal bleeding), hematuria (blood in the urine), retinal hemorrhages, or frank internal bleeding (large doses). If someone in the household ingests rat poison, they should immediately be taken to the emergency room. Treatment for rat poison ingestion is long term administration of vitamin K.
Mosquito Borne Illnesses:
Mosquitoes
are a vector for many dangerous viral illnesses including Zika fever,
chikungunya, dengue fever, West Nile virus fever, yellow fever, and malaria.
Dengue
fever causes painful joint pain (breakbone fever). Malaria
is a febrile illness that can cause death if not properly medically treated. While
Zika normally causes a mild flu like illness, it can lead to birth defects when
contracted by a woman who is pregnant. The health
risks behoove all members of the public to protect themselves against mosquito
bites. If
you discover mosquitoes in your backyard, call a pest control specialist
immediately. He can eradicate local mosquitoes and clean up potential mosquito
breeding areas. If you find yourself in an area
where mosquitoes are endemic, protect yourself by wearing clothes that cover
your body, use mosquito repellant, and sleep in mosquito netting.
A
recent article in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) listed
reliable mosquito repellants: Deet - 7% pump spray, 15% and 25% aerosol spray,
and 30% lotion; Picardin - sprays or wipes; IR3535 - lotion or spray; Oil of
Lemon Eucalyptus (30% pump spray). All of these repellants are available in
local stores at reasonable prices. When using the repellants, be sure to note
how long they are effective, and reapply the material before the protection lapses.
Pest
Spray Health Precautions
While
all pest sprays on the market have FDA approval, that doesn't mean they can't
cause cancer when used improperly. FDA approval
implies that the benefits of the substance significantly outweigh the harms. To
protect yourself from any pesticide side effects, be sure to use the substances
as directed on the product labels.
