Pests and Disease

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In the distant past insects such as mosquitoes, flies and fleas were a particularly common problem. Rodents, such as rats, were important vectors for disease. 

Vector-borne diseases such as mosquito-borne malaria were common. Plague, transmitted from fleas to rodents, caused devastating epidemics. 

Globalization has led to the introduction of invasive species, spreading pests to new regions. Bed bugs are a common problem in urban areas. Mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and flies, can spread diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, Zika, dengue, West Nile virus, chikungunya, and Lyme Disease. While some cases are mild, these diseases can be severe and have lasting consequences.

Cockroaches, ants, spiders, and rodents remain persistent pests. House flies are suspected of transmitting at least 65 diseases to humans. Typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, poliomyelitis, yaws, anthrax, tularemia, leprosy, and tuberculosis may be contracted through contamination from flies. Flies regurgitate and excrete wherever they come to rest and can transmit disease to humans this way. 

Mice and rats can carry harmful diseases, such as Leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, plague, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and typhus. Hantavirus is spread to people from mice and rats. The virus, is found in rodent urine, saliva, and feces. It can be easily released in the air when disturbed by simple human activities, such as sweeping or vacuuming.

Global travel and climate change are making emerging diseases, including Zika, dengue and chikungunya, more prevalent. 

Allergies and respiratory problems associated with household pests such as dust mites and cockroaches are becoming more widely recognized.

For more information or help with controlling pests contact getdacritters.com.