Hoarding can seem like a harmless problem if the hoard doesn’t hurt anyone.
Unfortunately, that’s never the case. It will always cause a problem for someone.
Whether that is the homeowner, not being able to get around the house because of the clutter, or a relative who can’t visit because of the hoarding.
This can take a toll on someone’s mental health.
Whether that’s the homeowner or the friend or relative.
Hoarding and a messy home can attract many pests. These pests can bring diseases that could be detrimental to your health.
In this article, we will look at what pests hoarding brings, and what diseases these pests carry and can possibly spread to humans.
We will also take a look at what mental health problems hoarding can cause.
What pests does hoarding bring?
A hoarded house will most likely bring some kind of pest if the pests are given the opportunity.
All they need is a water source and somewhere warm to sleep and bring up their family and of course, food.
So if food is left out, then pests may be attracted to the surroundings.
Flies
If you have a lot of garbage and mess in your house, then you will more than likely attract flies into your home.
How many diseases do flies carry?
According to the World Health Organization, house flies carry at least 65 diseases and are carriers of diarrhoeal diseases, and skin and eye infections.
What diseases do flies carry that can spread to humans?
Some of the diseases flies carry that can be spread to humans include:
- Cholera
- Conjunctivitis
- Dysentery
- Gastroenteritis
- Salmonellosis
- Tuberculosis
- Typhoid fever
Rodents
If you have a hoarded house, it’s likely you will have a rodent infestation.
Luckily you won’t have rats and mice at the same time. It’s one or the other.
Rats are bigger than mice and are usually brown or black in color. Mice have longer tails and longer ears than rats but are smaller overall.
Rats are more aggressive than mice and can even bite if they feel threatened.
Because rats are larger than mice, a single rat would do more damage to your property than a single mouse.
How many diseases do rodents carry?
Rats and mice carry and spread at least 35 diseases.
These diseases can be spread directly by touching and handling rodents, contact with feces or urine from the rodent, or if a rodent bites you.
The diseases can also be spread indirectly through Fleas, ticks, and mites.
What diseases do rodents carry that can be spread to humans?
Some of the more common diseases that rodents carry are:
- Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
- Leptospirosis
- Plague
- Rat-bite fever
- Salmonellosis
- Tularemia
Fleas
If you have a rodent problem or if you have a cat or a dog, or even multiple cats and/or dogs, if you’re an animal hoarder, then you might find fleas in the house.
Generally, the only real annoyance with fleas is that they may bite and you might be itchy.
They do however transmit diseases so you should make yourself aware of what diseases they do transmit.
What diseases do fleas carry that can be spread to humans?
Some fleas can carry diseases such as:
- Plague
- Flea-borne (murine) typhus
- Cat scratch fever
Ticks
Ticks are small creatures that can cause a lot of trouble.
They attach themselves to humans or animals and are normally found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin or armpits.
When they reach their host’s blood vessels, they start to feed.
If the tick is infected with a disease, it can spread the infection to other animals and humans.
What diseases do ticks carry that can be spread to humans?
Ticks can transmit diseases like:
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Cockroaches
If you see a cockroach, then more than likely there’s more you can’t see.
Cockroaches aren’t loners, they are social creatures and they reproduce very quickly.
What diseases do cockroaches carry that can be spread to humans?
Cockroaches carry many diseases that can be spread to humans such as:
- Cholera
- Dysentery
- Typhoid fever
Is mental illness a disease?
Here are some definitions of “Disease”
a condition of a person, animal, or plant in which its body or structure is harmed because an organ or part is unable to work as it usually does; an illness:
a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.
As you can see, mental illness or mental health problems are a disease of the brain.
Like any disease, some cases are more severe than others.
Some mental health problems linked with hoarding include:
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Severe depression
These are just some diseases that can be caused by hoarding. There may be more diseases that we may not have listed.