Rodents, such as rats and mice, pose a range of health hazards. In fact, rats and mice have been linked to the spread of over 35 illnesses. These illnesses can be transmitted to people directly by handling live or dead rodents, coming into touch with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, or being bitten by a mouse. People may also get exposed to diseases through rat bites. Symptoms may not appear for several weeks after being bitten. Symptoms of rat bite include pain at the site of the bite and redness around the area. If you are allergic to rat saliva, it could cause an allergic reaction. Also, rats can carry several types of bacteria that can cause illness if you are not able to resist contacting them through your skin. Bacteria such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Pasteurella can be found in the mouths of healthy rats but can also be found on humans. If you come into contact with these bacteria, you could become ill. People sometimes use rat poison to kill rats. This is dangerous because even though you might think you're killing all the rats, some will just find another way to survive. The only sure way to prevent rats from spreading disease and harming children or other animals is through proper rat control. If you encounter a dead rat, there are two things that should be done with it. First, make sure nobody is going to be harmed if you dispose of it in the trash.