Rats Rats Rats

Rat Traps

Webster and MacDonald (1995) studied the parasite and disease load of wild rats on farms in England:

* = transmissible to humans

Helminths (worms):
the oxyuroid pinworm Syphacia muris in 67% of the rats
the strongoloyd parasite Nippostronglyus brasiliensis found in 23%
* the liver worm Capillaria in 23%
* the cestode Hymenolepsis diminuta in 22%
Toxocara cati causing Toxocariasis in 15%
the oxyuroid pinworm Heterakis spp. in 14%
* the cestode Hymenolepsis nana in 11%
the intestinal tapeworm Taenia taeniaeformis in 11%

Bacteria
* Leptospira spp. bacteria causing Weil's disease in 14%
* Listeria spp. bacteria causing listeriosis in 11%
* Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria causing yersiniosis in 11%
* Pasturella spp. bacteria causing Pasturellosis in 6%
* Pseudomonas spp. bacteria causing Meilioidosis in 4%

Protozoa
* Cryptosporidium parvum causing cryptosporidiosis in 63% of the rats
* Toxoplasma gondii causing toxoplasmosis in 35%
Trypanosoma lewisii in 29%
Eimeria separata in 8%

Rickettsia
* Coxiella burnetti evidence of infection by Q fever in 34%

Viruses
* Hantavirus causing Hantaan-fever or hemorrhagic fever in 5%

Ectoparasites (note: these ectoparasites are vectors for diseases which are transmissible to humans, such as typhus)
Fleas found on 100% of the rats
Mites found on 67%
Lice found on 38%

We did manage to eliminate well in excess of 500 of these little blighters and the end of the game season.

Come in to contact - be sure to wash your hands, or DONT touch them!