Some consider the rat to be a cute, completely harmless animal and even keep it in their home as a pet. Others find her vile and disgusting. But definitely, rodents do not leave either one or the other indifferent.
Rats are the most common rodents on the planet. They can be found on almost every continent.
Among other representatives of the rodent order, rats are distinguished by their aggressiveness. Several animals can easily attack a person or a pet. The victim will be very lucky if everything gets done with just bites.
In the worst case scenario, it could end in death. Every year, approximately 15 thousand people in the world are attacked by rats, 100 cannot be saved. And all because animals are carriers of many deadly diseases. Therefore, you need to immediately take the necessary measures if a rat bites a person to the point of bleeding. After all, the successful outcome of treatment may depend on how quickly first aid was provided.
Rules for first aid for rat bites
Rats are the most widespread order of rodents on earth. Every year, about 15 thousand people worldwide suffer from the bites of these pests and approximately 100 of them die. This happens due to the fact that this small animal is a carrier of infectious diseases that are fatal to humans. Therefore, it is necessary in the first minutes to decide what to do if you become the target of a rat attack. In most cases, the penetration of microbes into the body depends on compliance with the basic rules of first aid.
Rat bite
Rodents use their teeth when forced to defend themselves. The animals themselves are aggressive, but they rarely attack humans. Rodents that carry various diseases pose a danger. When bitten, the infection enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. A rat bite is always a cause for concern. Animals are kept in unsanitary conditions and are often carriers of infections. The exception is domestic rats, but even from their bites a person can contract the disease.
How to stop a rat from biting?
It will take patience and desire. There are specimens that themselves do not like communication and want to be left alone. If an animal bites during play, or there is a hormonal surge, then all the miracles of diplomacy must be applied.
In the process of fighting for territory, the rat that puts its opponent on its back wins. If the pet tries to bite, you should put it on its back and hold it in this position for 20-40 seconds.
Working with a spray bottle is considered a safe way. If bitten, spray a little with water using a spray bottle. After 5-7 times the rodent will understand that it is not worth biting.
When the animal has grown up and got used to the owner, simply drive him away and not let him near, so that the rat understands that you are not inclined to communicate in such a way.
You shouldn’t hurt your pet, click him on the nose, pick him up by the tail, and especially not deprive him of food/water or take him out to the balcony in winter. Such methods are more likely to cause additional aggression, undermine health and will not lead to the desired result.
Carrying out deratization
Deratization is a set of procedures aimed at controlling rodents. They are exterminatory and preventive.
The goal of prevention is to prevent the appearance of rats in enterprises or premises. Typically, during prevention, the entry routes for animals and access to food are closed. It is also necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the premises, take out the garbage in a timely manner, and get rid of waste. You should not neglect the condition of waste accumulation areas and clean the area in a timely manner.
Consequences of a bite
The human body is individual.
Therefore, the healing period will occur differently for everyone. The temperature may rise, inflammation may appear, and headaches may occur. The injury itself when bitten by rats is also dangerous. There were cases when people were bitten on their earlobes, nose wings, and fingers. Statistically, they bite hands, but this means that rodents mostly attack in self-defense. In developed countries, rat bites are less known than in backward ones. Due to the large accumulation of garbage and poor sanitary conditions, there are a lot of such rodents.
In addition, bites can lead to psychological consequences. People often begin to become terrified of these animals, living in fear that they will be able to climb out of pipes and toilets.
Differences between rat bites and bites of other animals
In some cases, it is not even clear who exactly bit the person - a rat, a mouse, or some other animal. For example, a bite can occur when a person is sleeping, or someone bites a child on the finger while he is playing in the house or on the street. It is even more difficult to identify the offender if the person who was bitten was a pet.
In general, it is not difficult to distinguish a rat bite from the bite of another animal. After a rodent attack, as a rule, two small bleeding wounds remain at the site of the bite - from the upper and lower incisors (sometimes such wounds are represented by two nearby skin lesions, since the rat has two well-developed upper and two lower incisors). This “pattern” is characteristic of rodent bites.
The photo below shows what a rat bite looks like on a person’s hand:
Perhaps the easiest way to confuse such a bite with the bites of other rat relatives: mice, voles, hamsters. The rat differs from them only in size (however, there is no need to make such a diagnosis, since all wild rodents are about as dangerous as rats).
What to do if you are bitten by a wild rat
The greatest danger to humans comes from the bite of a wild animal. Let's figure out what to do if you are attacked by a wild rat.
You absolutely need to see a doctor, and before that, start treating the wound yourself as quickly as possible. Wash the affected area generously and thoroughly with a solution of laundry soap after the bleeding has stopped. To prepare the solution, take 1/3 of a bar of soap and dilute it in two glasses of water. After this, it is necessary to disinfect the wound with any antiseptic and apply a bandage. This way you will protect yourself from infection.
You can learn how to humanely kill a parasite in this article.
A wild rat, unlike a domestic rat, lives on the street, climbs into garbage cans and landfills, so the likelihood of infection is very high.
The most dangerous pests are for a sleeping person. After all, the likelihood of infection increases due to bites in the neck and face due to the peculiarities of the circulatory system in these places. The vessels here are located close to the skin, so the infection immediately enters the blood. In this case (as in others), it is also necessary to see a specialist.
The rat is the source of all existing infectious diseases.
We all know very well that rats live in predominantly polluted areas where there is a lot of garbage. Living in garbage dumps, rats pick up a lot of garbage and eat spoiled food. The rat's body itself is very resistant to various infections, however, it is capable of accumulating them. Thus, the rat is a generator of various diseases, of which there can be several in its body at the same time. It is worth listing the common diseases that rats carry in their bodies: tuberculosis, fever, leptospirosis, coxiellosis, yersiniosis, as well as rabies and tetanus. Just one list of all kinds of diseases can frighten a person and make him think about the danger that rats pose when they appear. Next, we will tell you a little more about the symptoms of all of the above diseases.
Wound healing and factors influencing this process
The wound healing process can be disrupted by many factors.
Healing is the process of repairing damaged tissue and restoring its integrity. During the healing process, certain processes occur. We will not dwell on them in more detail, but will only indicate those factors that may disrupt the healing process:
- Age. As a rule, this applies more to older people. The child's body has great regenerative capabilities. This is due to the high level of anabolic (construction) processes in the body.
- Attachment of infection.
- Decreased immunity.
- Poor circulation in the wound area.
- Chronic diseases (diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, diabetes, tumors and others).
Healing complications
- Attachment of infection . Most often, a nonspecific purulent infection develops. The threat is tetanus, rabies, diphtheria. Therefore, injuries that have been bitten and contaminated with soil or old metal objects should be immediately examined by a surgeon with a number of preventive measures taken (administration of anti-tetanus serum, rabies vaccine).
- Bleeding.
- Divergence of defect edges.
- In some cases, healing may be complicated by a hypertrophic scar or keloid . They are an abnormal scar that can spread beyond the defect area and also contribute to the development of complications.
A rat bitten until it bled: first aid
The wound is usually deep, very painful and has difficulty healing. In this case, the edges are quickly tightened, which prevents blood from escaping, which could have become infected.
Algorithm of actions:
- First of all, squeeze out as much blood as possible from the wound to eliminate the presence of dirt.
- Rinse under running water for at least 5 minutes.
- Then treat the bite site with any antiseptic: hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Apply iodine or brilliant green to the wound.
- If necessary, cover with adhesive tape.
- Monitor your health for a few days. And do all household chores with gloves.
Wound treatment is the same for adults and children.
It is of great importance that the pet is truly domestic, vaccinated and kept in good conditions.
If a rat bites a child, be sure to talk to the child and explain how to handle the pet. The bite could occur after the animal was squeezed too hard, hurt or scared. The main thing is to explain to the child that the rat must be handled carefully and then it will not cause trouble.
Causes
To maintain good, friendly relationships, you should avoid situations in which the rat might bite.
- The pet was hurt;
- Scared;
- Hungry animal;
- The desire to attract attention.
Bites without a reason in domestic rats are practically excluded. If you squeeze an animal for a long time, then when it gets tired, it can gnaw lightly, thereby saying “enough.”
After preparing or eating food, you should also wash your hands thoroughly so that the smell of your fingers is not confused with food.
A rat may also bite another pet, such as a cat or dog. The reasons are the same - protecting one’s territory, fear, approaching danger. It happens that pets get along nicely next to each other and even play.
Any wounds sustained by pet rats should be treated, regardless of whether the bite was a human or a pet.
With a strong bite, the wound may not heal for a long time, especially in an animal when there is fur nearby, which constantly irritates the “battle wound.” Bites are painful, but by providing comfortable conditions for all family members to stay in the house, they can be avoided.
What is rabies?
Rabies (or rabies, from the Latin word rabies, hydrophobia, fear of water) is an acute infectious disease resulting from the bite of a dog or other infected animal, which is characterized by severe damage to the nervous system and usually ends in death.
The danger of rabies was known in ancient times, but there were no treatment methods, and every victim was doomed to death.
Only the great French scientist Louis Pasteur managed to create a vaccine against rabies (rabies vaccine) in 1885. On July 6, 1885, he saved the life of a 15-year-old teenager who was bitten by a rabid dog.
How does rabies become infected?
The causative agent of rabies is the Neuroiyctes rabid virus, which contains a single strand of RNA. The virus is resistant to freezing, antibiotics and phenol, drying, and direct sunlight. Destroyed by heat, acids and alkalis.
When a dog (or other animal) bites, infection occurs as a result of saliva from a rabid animal entering the wound. Once under the skin, the rabies virus quickly reaches the central and peripheral nervous systems. The rate of spread of the disease depends on the location of the wound (the higher the bite site, the faster the infection), the depth and size of the wound, and the reactogenicity of the human body (i.e., the susceptibility of the nervous system to a given pathogen).
1 Dog bite. First aid
2 Dog bite. First aid
3 Dog bite. First aid
Symptoms of rabies
The incubation period lasts from 1 to 3 months (sometimes from 12 days to a year). The speed of spread is influenced by the location of the bite.
There are 3 stages of the disease: initial (depression), stage of excitement, stage of paralysis.
Leptospirosis.
Infection with this disease occurs precisely at the moment a rat bites a person. The blood of a rodent contains dangerous bacteria, which lead to the development of this disease. In the absence of proper treatment, these same bacteria rapidly spread in the body, which begin to affect the organs of the digestive system, the central nervous system, as well as the kidneys and some part of the human excretory system. Symptoms of leptospirosis include nausea, headache, weakness throughout the body, puffy facial features, as well as fever and enlarged lymphatic vessels throughout the body.
Rats bite each other: what to do?
Between themselves, living in the same cage, animals can fight for territory, which is also evident from the bites on their fur. If animals cannot get along with each other, then it is better to place them in different cages. Sometimes it comes to living in different rooms and completely excluding communication with each other.
The reasons are the same instincts, which are not expressed weakly in all domestic animals; sometimes the call of the ancestors is strong and no punishment will help. Moreover, such competition between rodents does not exclude a good attitude towards the owner.
Keeping decorative rats imposes on the owner the responsibility of caring for and raising his pet. Compliance with basic hygiene rules, careful care of the animal, and selection of high-quality food will bring results. A kind, affectionate pet rat will not bite and will remain cheerful and healthy.
Great article 14
What to do if rats bite children in kindergarten?
In many cases, rat bites require not only therapeutic but also administrative measures. Still, in accordance with sanitary standards, there should be no rats, mice, or any other rodents in the premises next to a person. And if in his home a person himself is responsible for preventing their occurrence, then in various educational institutions it is quite possible to demand compliance with these measures from the administration.
For example, if rats bite children in a kindergarten, there is a flagrant violation of sanitary standards. What should be done if the kindergarten administration did nothing in response to such an emergency?
- Compile and send an application to the regional SES office. The service usually responds promptly to complaints regarding municipal enterprises;
- Send an appeal to the deputy head of the city administration;
- If there is no response from the deputy head and the SES, write a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor.
It is very important that all complaints and appeals be collective, from at least three to four parents. This will help employees of the relevant services to distinguish the real problem from the far-fetched complaints of some scandalous mother.
It is advisable to attach to all requests copies of certificates from the clinic where the bitten children were examined by a doctor, as well as photographs and copies of letters to other authorities from which no response was received.
