Health Risks of a Rat Infestation in Your Rental Building

A commercial rat infestation is more than just unsightly; it’s unhealthy. While these rodents chew through wires, tear through insulation, and soil the walls of your rental building, they also spread health risks that put everyone on your property at risk. Take a look at how rats can disrupt the health of your business and its inhabitants.   

How Rats Spread Disease and Infection  

Even if you don’t see or come in contact with rats, they can still spread disease, infection, and illness to the people of your rental property. Here are the most common ways rats transmit trouble. 

• Food and water contamination 
• Bite or scratch 
• Airborne toxicity 
• Leftover waste 

The Conditions Wild Rats Carry 

Rats are notorious for being dirty, disease-ridden rodents. These are just a handful of the health conditions that rats can pass on to the employees and tenants in your rental building. 

• Leptospirosis, which can cause joint pain, headache, and skin rash 
• Salmonellosis, known to cause dehydration, abdominal pain, and diarrhea 
• Rat-bite fever, an infectious disease that can cause swelling of the lymph nodes 
• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a serious respiratory ailment 
• Tularemia, a potentially inflammatory and infectious condition 

Safety Concerns of a Rat Infestation 

Given their unstoppable desire to chew, messy habits of nesting, and excessive production of waste, rats are linked to significant safety concerns, including: 

• Electrical hazards – Once rats get their sharp teeth on a wire, cord, or electrical attachment, they won’t let go. Chewing through protected pieces of wire, rats can eventually cause fire. 
• Allergens – Rat urine or feces that soak into your walls, ceilings, or floors can cause mold and mildew growth, which can irritate or inflame allergies in tenants. 
• Structural damage – As they chew through wood, wire, and insulation, rats can put your renters at risk by interfering with the integrity of your building. 

Keep Your Commercial Building Safe 

To protect your rental building from health and safety scares, call the wildlife management professionals at Critter Control® of Tampa. Our team can repair any entry points around your rental unit and arm you with the best business tips to prevent pests from targeting your location. We’ll work with your building and your budget to create a system that personally fits your rental property. For a complimentary inspection of your building, call us today at 813-948-0870.