06 Feb Pests Are Making You Sick: 5 Diseases Caused By Pest Infestation

Getting bitten or stung by pests can make you sick but this is not always the case. Some rodents and insects do not even have to do anything to cause diseases. Their presence is enough to contaminate surfaces and your food with pathogens. Here are five disease you could blame on pest infestation:

Asthma
Cockroaches shed fecal matter and leave behind saliva and body parts that contain proteins and allergens that can trigger allergic response in the lungs.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, these waste matter and shed body parts may have the same effect as dust mites.

People who are predisposed to allergies are particularly vulnerable to this reaction because debris entering their airways are likely to set off an allergy response that can cause the telltale symptoms of asthma which include coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

Dermatitis
Carpet beetles may seem less dangerous compared with other household pests because they do not bite people. Long term exposure to these insects, however, may cause a medical condition called carpet beetle dermatitis.

In the 1950s, dermatologists started reporting cases of skin problems they linked to contact with carpet beetles. The patients reported itching and skin eruptions. The symptoms could be mistaken as bites from bed bugs. Biopsies and clinical tests, however, later confirmed that the hairs of the carpet beetle larvae caused these reactions.

Some people exposed to the airborne fibers of these bugs also experience eye irritation and respiratory tract infection.

Hantavirus
The Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a deadly viral infection spread by rats and mice. Rodents shed virus in their droppings, saliva and urine, which can contaminate the air.

People contract the disease as a result of breathing infected air or coming into contact with rodents or the droppings and urines of these pests.

Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, chills, dizziness, nausea, muscle pains, diarrhea, coughing and shortness of breath.

Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammation of the intestines that can lead to mild to severe stomach cramps and severe diarrhea that comes with mucus or blood in the feces. The condition can be deadly for patients without adequate hydration.

The World Health Organization identified two main types of dysentery. Bacillary dysentery, or shigellosis, is caused by the shigella bacillus. The Amoebic dysentery, or amoebiasis, on the other hand, is caused by the amoeba Entamoeba histolytica.

Both forms cause inflammation of the intestine as a result of ingesting contaminated food and water, or through contact with contaminated objects or hand. Contamination may occur as a result of exposure to cockroaches or flies that carry pathogens in their body.

Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Mosquitoes may be tiny but they are among the world’s deadliest animals causing millions of death per year. Diseases attributed to mosquito bites include malaria, zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

Many of these mosquito-borne diseases affect people in tropical and developing countries, but some, such as the chikungunya and zika, have also inflicted people in developed nations.

Zika can cause head deformation in babies born to mothers infected with the virus during pregnancy. Chikungunya may cause fever, joint pain, swelling and rash.

Pests are not just a nuisance and unwelcome guests in your home. They are also carriers of disease-causing viruses and bacteria that can pose serious risk to your family’s health. Protect your family from potentially serious diseases by making sure that your home is pest-free.

We can help solve your problem with pest infestation. We have been in the pest management industry for more than 20 years helping homes and offices. Contact us now and learn about our packages designed to target common pests.