Hey everyone!
A rat infestation in our apartment left my toddler hospitalized for 9 days with leptospirosis—a bacterial infection from rat urine in our AC ducts. The CDC traced it to a single scratch on her foot. Our costs:
- $12k in ICU bills (leptospirosis attacked her kidneys)
- Chronic asthma from airborne rat dander
- PTSD every time we hear scratching sounds
Beyond diseases, rats chewed our car’s brake lines and ruined $4k of food stores. But the invisible risks terrify me most:
Key Questions:
- Can hantavirus spread through rat saliva on bitten fruits?
- Do rat mites transmit diseases to humans during infestations?
- Are asthma rates higher in homes with old rat nests?
- Can rat tapeworms (Hymenolepis) infect humans without direct contact?
- Is secondary poisoning from rodenticides a real threat to toddlers/pets?
Leptospirosis cases up 300% in urban areas! Symptoms mimic flu until organ failure. Demand doxycycline prophylaxis if exposed to rat urine. @ScaredDad Did your landlord cover medical bills?
Harvested tomatoes with rat bites—got rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus). 104°F fever + joint swelling. Lab test cost $800 out-of-pocket. Now I autoclave all garden produce!
Most clients ignore rat lungworm risks (Angiostrongylus). Inhale dust with larvae = brain invasion. Always wet-clean droppings with 10% bleach. Dry sweeping = suicide!
Rat allergens are 10x more potent than pollen! My son’s IgE levels skyrocketed post-infestation. Now on $600/month biologics. Landlord’s insurance refused claims—suing!
Cleaned rat nests without a mask, contracted histoplasmosis. Fungal spores destroyed my lungs. Needed oxygen tanks for 2 years. PSA: N95s DON’T block spores, use P100 respirators!
Dog ate a poisoned rat, $4k dialysis to save her. Brodifacoum stays in liver for months. Blood tests every week! Now use electronic traps + GPS-tracked rat terriers.
Rat-bite fever’s underdiagnosed! Demand PCR testing, standard cultures miss it. Your joint pain could become endocarditis. Start doxycycline ASAP if recurrent!
Landlord fled the state! Health department condemned the building. Using Medicaid lien to seize his assets. Never rent units built pre-1980 without rat inspection records!
Worse: Hantavirus has 38% mortality if untreated. I’ve seen 3 farmers die from sweeping barn dust. EPA requires virucidal foggers, $1k treatment but saves lives.
Same here! Switched to immunotherapy for rat allergens. $15k/year but better than ER visits. Petitioning HUD to classify rat infestations as disability discrimination.