Do Rats Attack Humans? What To Do If This Happens?

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From the previous blog, you find out that there is a legitimate reason why you should fear certain types of rats. You may see them run right away if they feel you coming while they rummage your food storage. Out of fear, you try not to get close if you catch one opening your food jars. But do rats attack humans? So, what do you do if a rat bites you?

Firstly, know why it must worry you. You may acquire diseases such as viruses and even rabies if your skin gets caught in the rat’s teeth. Rats, when they bite, can make you ill. Most species carry disease. And while some won’t bother you at all, caution should be observed for those out to bite you. Here are common dangers of rats to humans:

Salmonella
Virus
Rat-bite fever
Plague
Leptospirosis

Will You Get Rabies From Rat Bite

A US study on rats and rabies concludes that rabies caused by rodent bites rarely happens. And in years, there has been no recorded incident of rat bites giving the patient rabies. Nonetheless, everyone is prescribed to take caution and avoid getting bitten by rats.

So now the question: do rats attack humans? The quick answer to this is that it can but in certain situations. To anticipate a rat’s attack, you must know its behavior and habitat. Rodents are generally afraid of social contact with humans. When you sneak into the kitchen while they hunt for food, they will run and hide.

What can trigger a Rat to Attack Humans?

A rat will not directly attack. Some instances could be when or while trapping a rat. Or when taking a trapped rodent from the cage or the bucket.

This is the reason why you need to be cautious when catching rodents. In their struggle to get out, they might bite your finger when they intend to bite the trap bucket or the exterior of the rat snap.

Here is a quick rundown of scenarios you might encounter a rat going wild:

A mouse struggling to escape a trap might bite you
When you freak out in front of the rat or mice
Trying to reach the rodent from its nest while the babies are in
Rats roaming during the night and attempt to bite your toe or fingers

Rat Bite Symptoms

Sometimes a rat bites you during sleep. Right! You are probably reading this post right now because you felt a pinch on your toes last night. It was the mice hiding in the wall of your room.

As a caution and for you to give yourself first aid, here are rat-bite fever symptoms:

Headache
Chills
Swelling
Red streaks on the wound
Rash
Vomiting
Sore throat

Remedy to Rat Bite

Animal bites are dangerous in general. More so with rats. If you get bitten, follow these things to do to aid and prevent the rat-bite fever and the worse from happening:

If you get bitten by a rat, seek medical care right away.
While waiting for professional medical treatment, give first aid to the wounds.
Clean the wounds. Even if you only got scratched by the rats, you need to treat it like when you get bitten.
If bleeding in the wound persists, control bleeding
Do not rely on self-medication
Ultimately, go to a nearby clinic to receive proper medical care and treatment
Take meds as prescribed

Gotta Avoid Them

Avoid getting bitten by the rats at all costs. You can check here for a homemade rat poison recipe or pet friendly mouse traps. Before you sleep, make sure to clean the kitchen, dining, and your room. This prevents them from smelling food and roaming around you.

If you find them too many in your area, time to call on professional rat killers to exclude them where you live.