Harris County, Houston Rat Control Situation:
Dear Pest Control Agency, My name is Juan and I am working on my doctoral dissertation in Biology at Rice University, Houston, Texas. I have an undergraduate researcher who helps me with my research, and we both work in the laboratory of Prof. Michael. We have studied rats and mice in Europe, and we use the information to study a number of questions, including how rodent populations are connected between continents or within countries. One part of our work deals with the question of whether rats and mice in the US have developed resistance to rodent poisons, about which little is known. Our hope is that during pest control you will be able to obtain the tail tips (about 1 inch) of rats and mice that can be found at rodent infested sites. These could be collected from dead animals, and of course, we would send you everything you would need (scissors, tubes, gloves, prepaid shipping, etc.). If you decide to help us in our research, we would like to offer you a Domino's giftcard as a thank you for your efforts! We have received a large amount of support from a few pest control agencies so far. It would be wonderful if you would also consider helping us! Attached is a simple spreadsheet where a few details on the sampling are described. We do not need any specific information regarding locations where sampling was done, and no names of owners or of employees, etc. are needed. However, if you would like we would be more than happy to promote your company name in our research paper! Please feel free to contact us by email or phone if you have any other questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, Juan
Houston Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Diseases Are Caused By Rat Urine?
Rats are undoubtedly one of the animals that transmit the greatest number of diseases worldwide. These rodents are a very unpleasant species for humans, not only because they spend a lot of time in the garbage, but also because of the risk they pose to humans.
How Can You Get Infected Through A Rat's Urine?
Unfortunately, there are many ways a person can get a disease, virus, or infection from a rodent. From the moment a rat enters your property, you are exposed to a number of dangers that can seriously affect your health.
It is possible to become infected through direct contact with an object or food contaminated with rat urine. Rats often leave a trail of urine so that other rats can follow it to the best food source. This is why there could be rat urine on your food or even in the water.
Another way to get infected is to inhale dust contaminated with rat urine. The most frequent way to get infected by rat urine is through a fresh wound; the infection will have better access to your body.
Hantavirus
It is considered to be a viral disease that seriously affects the body; it can cause hemorrhagic fever and affect the lungs. The disease is found in rodents of all types and is mainly transmitted through their urine. Some symptoms of the disease are:- Fever
- Muscular aches and chills
- Dizziness
- Gastrointestinal problems
Leptospirosis
This infection may be better known as Weil's disease. It is considered to be a risky illness because if it is not treated in time it could be fatal. It is transmitted to humans through the urine of a carrier animal, including rats. This infection has all the symptoms of a normal infection, such as fever, dizziness, and body pain, except this infection can affect multiple important organs.
