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Can Ants Spread Diseases? How Ants Can Impact Your Health
Can Ants Spread Diseases?
Most of the insects you’re familiar with carry lots of dangerous diseases. Mosquitos cause malaria, ticks cause Lyme disease, and fleas cause Murine Typhus. That’s why it’s natural for us to wonder whether all insects, like ants, carry diseases.
Ants and Diseases
Most animals spread diseases by hosting dangerous bacteria or viruses that can only develop inside them. As a result, these animals become the direct source of the disease. Yet ants aren’t like this. We’re fortunate that ants don’t naturally host any bacteria that can harm us. That means an ant can’t really make you sick on its own. While this sounds like an open and shut case, it really isn’t. While ants may not be a direct source of disease, they can still spread disease from other animals and insects.
Foodborne Illnesses
Foodborne illnesses are some of the most common diseases in the world. Several millions of people suffer from them each year. In fact, the CDC estimates that close to fifty million Americans get a foodborne disease each year! This problem is aided by the countless ants that enter people’s homes. While the ants themselves don’t carry any bacteria that can cause harm, they can visit some spots where the disease just happens to be lying around. This happens when ants walk over dirty spots, like the soil outside your home or even sewage pipes.
While this isn’t dangerous on its own, you have to realize that some of these ants will end up in your pantry when they’re trying to get food. That means their feet will carry dirt and diseases, and they’ll spread it to your food when they step all over it. So if your food isn’t carefully washed – something that isn’t possible with things like sugar – you could risk getting sick by eating it.
Bites, Stings, and Allergies
Ant bites and stings are another thing to keep in mind, despite technically not being a disease. All ant species have the ability to sting you, and this can be dangerous if you’re allergic like many people are.
The symptoms can be minor, like a rash. Yet plenty of people can get severe allergic reactions as well, and it can lead to anaphylaxis or a skin infection. These bites can be quite deadly, and you should immediately seek medical attention.
Can Ants Spread Diseases?
Ants may not spread diseases directly, but they can still carry diseased particles found on surfaces. Their bites and stings are also a threat, particularly if you’re allergic to them.
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