Are Rodents Able to Spread Coronavirus?

Rodents are infamous for their ability to directly or indirectly transmit some of the world’s most dangerous diseases. SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, is not one of them. The team at Batzner knows that new information is being released daily about this pandemic. As always, we remain committed to ensuring our customers are aware of any pest-related dangers. We have seen a lot of questions surrounding the role of rats and other animals with transmission.

While rats and mice have been linked to other coronaviruses and other dangerous diseases, there is no evidence to currently suggest they are transmitting or spreading COVID-19.

Rodents & Coronaviruses

Including the virus causing the current pandemic (SARS-CoV-2), the three most recently discovered human coronaviruses have all proven to pose a serious threat to human life and health. These three viruses have all been genetically traced to a bat origin that crossed over first to other animals before eventually to human beings.

Rodents are capable of carrying several coronaviruses, but they have yet to be linked to any direct transmissions of COVID-19. According to a study, the rodents found to carry coronaviruses were kept in poor conditions on farms, markets, and restaurants in Vietnam alongside other animals. These unique circumstances make the risk of rats transmitting coronavirus to humans extremely unlikely.

Other Dangers of Rodents in a Pandemic

Although we know that rats aren’t directly transmitting SARS-CoV-2 at the moment, there are still a couple things to be aware of. The two other reasons why it’s important to prevent and control rodent problems during the pandemic and all year long are:

1. Rats and mice can spread other diseases, including hantavirus, salmonellosis, and plague. They also can indirectly transmit diseases from ticks, mosquitoes, lice, and fleas. Some of these include Colorado tick fever, Lyme disease, and others.
2. Due to the nature of the lockdowns and restaurant closures, there have been a number of reported cases of rats and mice becoming more bold and rampant in the absence of food sources. This activity in itself increases the risk of infestations and rodent-related problems.

Year-Round Rodent Prevention

In the midst of a pandemic or not, rodent prevention is crucial to protecting your family not only from the potential disease they spread, but also the damage they can cause. In recent months, rats and mice alike have been forced to drastic measures to seek out new food sources. While it’s good to know that rodents won’t transmit COVID-19 to your family, they still pose several other dangerous health risks. Whether you need help preventing or controlling rats, the rodent control team at Batzner is committed to keeping rats and mice away from you and your home.