Do Mice Carry Rabies?

I've found mice in my home, and I'm worried about disease. Do mice carry rabies, and should I be concerned?

Discovering mice in your home naturally raises health concerns, and rabies is often the first that comes to mind—but let us dispel your fears. Technically, mice are mammals and can contract the virus, but cases are extremely rare, and small rodents are not known to transmit rabies to humans. Health authorities, including the CDC, have never recorded a case of a mouse passing rabies to a person.

The same reassurance applies to their larger cousins. It's much the same for rats and other small rodents like squirrels, hamsters, and guinea pigs, which haven't been shown to spread the virus to people. Rabies is far more common in wild animals such as foxes, bats, and raccoons—the real cause for concern.

Although rabies isn't a realistic worry, mice aren't harmless. Signs of rabies in mice, were it ever to occur, would include unusual aggression, disorientation, difficulty moving, and excessive drooling, though you're highly unlikely to see this. The genuine risk comes from other diseases, such as hantavirus and salmonella, which mice spread through their urine and droppings without any direct contact.

So set aside your rabies fears—but a mouse infestation still needs prompt attention. Contact Gregory Pest Solutions for expert rodent control.