Mice Bites and Treatments

Mouse Bites and Treatment

Bites are not the main way mice make people sick. Most mouse-related illness comes from contact with their urine, droppings and saliva, either on food and surfaces or in dust that gets stirred up and inhaled. Salmonella is the most familiar example. Hantavirus spreads the same way, though in Florida it is tied to certain wild native rodents rather than the house mouse. Still, a frightened mouse will bite if grabbed or pulled from a trap, so use gloves or a tool, never bare hands. If you are bitten, clean the wound with soap and running water and call your doctor, especially if the skin is broken or the area turns red and swollen.

Mouse Bites: How They Happen and What to Do

Mice almost never bite unless they are handled, cornered, or caught but not killed in a trap. Most bites happen to people trying to grab a mouse, free one from a glue board, or clean out a nest bare-handed. A bite usually leaves one or two small puncture wounds from the front teeth.

The main concern is infection, not venom. A rodent bite can become infected like any puncture wound. In rare cases, an illness called rat-bite fever can follow a mouse bite despite its name. Its symptoms, such as fever, vomiting, headache, joint pain or a rash, usually start within a few days and up to about three weeks after the bite.

First aid:

• Wash the wound right away with soap and warm running water for several minutes.
• Apply an antiseptic and cover it with a clean bandage.

See a doctor for any rodent bite that breaks the skin, since you may need a tetanus booster or antibiotics. Go back if fever, rash or joint pain shows up in the following weeks, and mention the bite. Get prompt care for spreading redness, warmth, swelling or pus.

Small rodents like mice are not considered a rabies risk in the United States. If a dog or cat is bitten while catching a mouse, clean the wound and check with your vet. The best prevention is not handling mice at all: wear thick gloves when emptying traps. Wider health risks are covered on mouse health concerns.