Rats are rodents that live in close proximity to humans across the world. While they play important roles in many ecosystems, rats can also carry and spread diseases if they come into contact with food meant for human consumption. This raises an important question: what should you do if a rat touches or contaminates your food? Are there potential health risks, and can the food still be safely eaten if proper precautions are taken? This article will provide a comprehensive overview of what can happen if a rat touches your food, the potential health implications, and the proper way to handle food that has been exposed to rats.
How do rats spread disease?
Rats can carry and transmit many different pathogens, viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Some examples of rat-borne diseases include:
| Disease | Cause | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Salmonellosis | Salmonella bacteria | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, cramps |
| Leptospirosis | Leptospira bacteria | Fever, chills, muscle aches, vomiting |
| Rat bite fever | Streptobacillus moniliformis bacteria | Fever, rash, headache, vomiting |
| Hantavirus | Hantavirus | Fever, muscle aches, headaches, nausea |
| Plague | Yersinia pestis bacteria | Fever, chills, weakness, headache |
Rats spread these diseases through contact with rodent feces, saliva, or urine. When rats run across food preparation surfaces or food itself, they can transfer bacteria and viruses. Eating the contaminated food can then cause illness.
What foods are most at risk?
Rats are especially attracted to the following types of foods:
- Grains, cereals, and pasta
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meats, fish, eggs
- Garbage and compost
- Pet food
- Greasy or sweet foods
Rats have been known to chew into packages, cans, or other containers to access food. Any exposed or unpackaged foods are at highest risk for contamination if rats are present.
What should you do if a rat touches your food?
If you discover that a rat has come into contact with food you were planning to eat, either through direct contact or by leaving droppings, urine, or other signs of their presence, it is important to take proper precautions.
Here are the recommended steps:
1. Assess the type of food and extent of contamination
Consider what type of food it is, and how the rat contacted it. Was it an open bag of chips the rat crawled through? Did you find rat droppings on boxes of food in your pantry? Is there evidence the rat actually ate some of the food? The level of risk depends on the specific details of the contamination.
2. Discard any directly contaminated food
Throw away any food the rat directly touched or ate from. This would include leftovers uncovered on the counter, or any open packages the rat got into. You cannot properly clean or sanitize these after rat contact.
3. Sanitize containers and surfaces
If rats touched or contaminated the exterior of packaged foods or the shelves, counters, etc where food is stored, you need to thoroughly clean and disinfect those surfaces before using them again with food. Use a disinfectant or bleach solution to kill lingering bacteria.
4. Isolate any suspect or exposed food
If you are unsure whether sealed packages or containers were contaminated, isolate them from other food and from food prep areas until they can be inspected, cleaned, and disinfected.
5. Contact local health department with questions
If you have concerns about whether food is safe after rat exposure, call your local health department for guidance. They can provide specific instructions for your situation.
6. When in doubt, throw it out
If food was exposed to rats or rat-infested spaces and proper cleaning cannot be confirmed, it is safest to discard it. This prevents the risk of consuming pathogens carried by rats.
Health risks from ingesting contaminated food
Eating food that has been contaminated by rats can potentially cause illness, depending on the pathogen transferred. Here are some potential health effects:
Salmonella
Symptoms of salmonella food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and headaches. Symptoms usually begin 12-72 hours after exposure and last 4-7 days. Severe infections may require hospitalization.
Leptospirosis
This bacterial infection can cause fever, chills, vomiting, headaches, and muscle aches. Some cases cause liver or kidney failure and severe bleeding disorders. It is treated with antibiotics.
Rat bite fever
This causes fever, headache, rash, vomiting, and muscle pain. Without treatment it can lead to infection of the heart, brain, and other organs. Antibiotics are required.
Plague
Though rare, plague contracted from rats via flea bites causes fever, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Pneumonic plague specifically can cause severe lung illness and be fatal if not treated promptly with antibiotics.
Hantavirus
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a severe respiratory disease from infected rodents that can be fatal. Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, progressing rapidly to coughing, difficulty breathing, and respiratory failure. There are no specific treatments for hantavirus – supportive care is required.
The severity of illness depends on factors like your age, health status, and the particular pathogen transmitted by the rats. However, it is best to completely avoid exposure by properly handling any food that may have been contaminated by rats.
How to rat-proof your home and prevent contamination
To help protect your food from rats, follow these proactive precautions:
Seal cracks and holes
Inspect your home for any openings bigger than 1/4 inch that could allow rats to enter. Use steel wool, caulk,concrete, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to plug gaps around doors, windows, pipes, vents, etc.
Clear vegetation
Trim any bushes, trees, vines, or plant overgrowth touching your home that could allow roof rat access. Create an 18 inch cleared barrier.
Manage garbage and food waste
Keep trash and compost containers sealed tightly. Pick up fallen trash immediately. Remove waste frequently to avoid attracting rats.
Protect food storage
Keep food, especially grains and dry goods, in airtight, rodent-proof containers. Use metal, glass, or heavy plastic containers – not paper.
Set traps
Use humane or lethal traps around your home to catch and eliminate any rats that enter. Trapping can effectively control populations.
Use repellents and poisons
Products like moth balls, ammonia, and capsaicin (hot pepper extract) can help repel rats. Rodenticide bait stations can also kill rats around your property. However, poisons must be used with extreme caution around children and pets.
Conclusion
Rats can potentially contaminate food with dangerous viruses, bacteria, and parasites if they come into direct contact. If a rat touches, bites, or leaves droppings on food – especially exposed items like produce or open packages – it is safest to throw the food away. Thorough cleaning and disinfecting any surface rats contacted is also essential. While the chance of serious illness is low, especially when proper precautions are taken, it is best to eliminate any food safety risks rats may pose. Sealing up entry points, removing attractions, setting traps, and using poison baits can all help prevent rats from accessing and contaminating your food at home.