4 of the Most Common Disease-Carrying Pests
It’s no secret that pests are not the cleanest creatures in existence. Insects, spiders, and rodents all travel through some pretty nasty places in their pursuit of food and shelter, so they unintentionally collect dangerous pathogens along the way. Pests can transmit diseases to humans both directly (bites or droppings) and indirectly (contaminated surfaces and food). This is why the EPA — Environmental Protection Agency — is constantly searching for contaminated species and public health concerns that stem from pests. It’s important to stay vigilant against invasive pests, so let’s take a look at four of the most common disease-carrying pests and learn about the largest risks that come with their presence.
Rodents
Considering the fact that rats were the cause behind the infamous Black Death of the 14th century, it’s easy to see why they are also one of the most disease-infested pests today. Plague is still transmitted by rodents through their droppings and the fleas they carry. Speaking of which, both of these are major ways that rodents spread bacteria and disease to the areas they inhabit. Since rodents crawl through some pretty disgusting places (sewers, garbage dumps, tunnels) in their lives, they become infected from the inside out. This is why their droppings contain dangerous pathogens that lead to diseases, such as salmonellosis.
Rats and mice spread disease through a variety of ways that can be categorized into two primary categories: direct transmission and indirect transmission. Rodents directly transmit diseases through biting a human, being touched by a human, or leaving droppings that come in contact with a human. This category includes hantavirus, rat-bite fever, and salmonellosis. Indirectly-transmitted diseases are typically introduced when the rodent has pests of their own, which just so happen to be carrying diseases. Fleas, ticks, and mites can all introduce vector-borne diseases to any humans living near the rodent infestation, with some of the most common being anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, and plague.
Ticks
Ticks may not invade our homes in huge groups, but they still introduce a hefty amount of problems to anyone who is bitten by one. These pests hide in thick brush and tall grass while they wait for a mammal to get close enough for the tick to sneakily crawl onto the new host and feed for the next 48 hours. Not every tick is infected with a disease, but enough of them are to make ticks a well-known vector for certain illnesses. The black-legged tick and deer tick spread disease most frequently. Since they hide in overgrown and wooded areas, it’s a good idea to keep your distance from any brush that is too thick to see through.
The only good news with ticks is that they have to be attached and feed for 36 to 48 hours in order to transmit the disease to their host. If it’s discovered and removed before then, there is far less of a chance that they injected the pathogens into the person, though it’s still a good idea to seek medical attention after removing the tick. But an infected tick that is left to feed until it becomes engorged is more likely to transmit its disease, and some of the most common include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick bite fever, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis.
Roaches
Roaches are a nightmare in every sense of the word: they reproduce quickly, can fit within tight spaces, love our food, and carry over 30 types of bacteria. These pests prefer areas that are dark and humid, which leads them to pursue seedy places that are filled with countless germs and pathogens. Sewers, drains, garbage dumps, and gutters are the most common roach habitats before they can invade a house or building, so they have plenty of time to collect more bacteria than we could ever imagine. Based on this bacteria alone, roaches can transmit a number of diseases to humans, including salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and typhoid fever.
There are two other primary fears when it comes to roaches and our health. One is food contamination that happens when roaches get into our food and contaminate it. These pests carry harmful pathogens in their guts and transmit them by touching food that is eventually eaten by a person. Dysentery is one of the main results of this unfortunate event. The other main concern is how roaches aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms in people with those conditions. There are multiple cockroach allergens in their droppings, shed skins, eggs, and saliva. The longer that roaches live in a home, the worse that the asthma and allergy symptoms of the residents will become.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a different type of dangerous pest than the rest. They aren’t attracted to our food like roaches and rodents, but they produce larger infestations than ticks ever could. The mosquitoes responsible for giving us those itchy bites are females who need protein for their eggs. They spread diseases by feeding on an infected mammal before moving on to the next host. Mosquitoes act as vectors for certain diseases because the pathogens multiply in their gut before being injected into the next host through the mosquito’s saliva.
When people think of vector-borne diseases from mosquitoes, the first one that often comes to mind is malaria. This disease is responsible for killing millions of people per year, most of whom are in other countries and do not have access to immediate medical attention. Other common diseases include Zika virus, dengue, and West Nile virus. Modern medicine has cures for these diseases in their early stages, which is yet another reason why it is essential to seek medical attention as soon as you begin feeling symptoms after being bitten by a mosquito. Most of their diseases have mild symptoms that are easily treated, but the lasting health effects can be far more worrisome if the disease is left untreated.
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Citations
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Avoid bug bites. (2022, May 11). CDC. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/avoid-bug-bites
Cockroaches and schools. (2023, November 14). EPA. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://www.epa.gov/ipm/cockroaches-and-schools#concern
Diseases caused by insects and arachnids. (n.d.). Smithsonian. Retrieved January 11, 2024, from https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/diseases
Foodborne illnesses. (n.d.). Pest World. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-health-hub/foodborne-illnesses/
How to control wild rodent infestations. (2023, January 3). CDC. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/wildlife/rodent-control.html
Lyme disease — Transmission. (2023, January 20). CDC. Retrieved January 11, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html
The truth about cockroaches and health. (n.d.). Pest World. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-health-hub/the-truth-about-cockroaches-and-health/
Ticks. (n.d.). Pointe Pest Control. Retrieved January 11, 2024, from https://pointepestcontrol.com/services/ticks/
