The answer is YES. Rat poison can kill humans as well. However, the amount of rat poison that is needed to kill a human is not known. But some things play a part in it, such as your body’s weight, underlying condition, genetics, and age.
Summary of Contents
Can Rat Poison Kill Humans?
Rats are pesky creatures that give humans a hard time. As a result, many people resort to eliminating them from their homes using either rat traps or rat poison. Even though rat traps are more humane than mouse poison, they effectively eliminate a massive rat infestation.
How is rat poison dangerous to humans?
Most rat poisons are made using anticoagulants that thins the blood and gradually kill the rat. The poison kills slowly so that the rats don’t realize where the source of the poison is coming from. Rats are intelligent creatures that will stay clear when they know that their food is the source of poison. That’s why you have to get rid of the rats that die near the bait station.
The problem is that rat poison is fatal to rats and can severely affect pets, kids, and even adults. If taken in large quantities and not treated immediately, mouse poison can even kill. This is because they feature warfarin or thallium as their active ingredient.
However, the amount of poison required to kill a rodent is much less than the amount a human being will consume to suffocate to death. So, if you suspect that someone has accidentally ingested the poison, you should rush them to see a doctor right away.
The rat poison with severe effects on humans is second-generation poison. This poison features ingredients like brodifacoum, bromadiolone, and difenacoum.
What are the signs of consuming rat poison?
For an adult to die because of rat poison, they have to consume an excessive amount. Not many people will die from accidentally taking a small portion of rodenticide. Even though you’re unlikely to die from ingesting mouse poison, you may fall very sick. Here are some of the signs of rat poison ingestion:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Nosebleed without an apparent cause
- Blood in the urine
- Bleeding gums without an apparent cause
- Shortness of breath
- Liver failure
- Excess fatigue
- Comas
- Shock
How to Safely Handle Mouse Poison?
If you want to avoid ingesting rat poison when dealing with a rat problem in your home, there are several safety measures that you should take. These are as follows:
- Never keep mouse poison near food sources
- Keep rat poison out of reach of children and pets at home. You should keep it in a safe place and lock it.
- If you have dead rats at home, properly dispose of them and clean the area thoroughly. Also, get rid of the remaining rat baits correctly.
- Always read and follow instructions on the rat poison label. For instance, you should never refill a non-refillable bait station.
- Always buy poison that is sold as block or paste bait. Avoid buying pellet-based rat poison as it has been banned over the counter.
How to avoid consuming rat poison?
Even though you will have to take a lot of rodenticides to die, a small quantity of this life-threatening poison will cause you many problems. More so, kids will be affected the worst. As a result, taking precautions when dealing with rat poison is vital. Here are the things you should carry out to avoid taking mouse poison:
- Place the rat poison in tamper-proof bait stations – regulations require the rat poison to be placed in tamper-proof bait stations.
- Be very careful when using mouse poison – ensure not to handle the actual poison when placing the bait. If possible, wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
- Teach your kids about the dangers of rat poison – from an early age, let your kids understand that rodenticide is dangerous and they shouldn’t consume it.
- Store rat poison in a safe place that kids and pets cannot reach – if you have kids at home, ensure to keep rat poison away from their reach. You don’t want them to eat the baits thinking that they are treats accidentally.
Which people are at a higher risk of dying from rat poison?
Some people may have severe problems than others when they ingest rat poison. Since this rodenticide functions by affecting blood clotting to a great degree in rats, anyone who is already taking a blood thinner will be significantly affected if they consume even a small portion of this poison. Some may even end up dying because of the poison. This is because the anticoagulant in the rodenticide will work with the prescribed blood thinner to produce even more life-threatening side effects. Such a person will have to be admitted and treated quickly.
Another condition that can also heighten the danger of being negatively affected by blood-thinning rat poisons are the liver disease. If you have liver disease, you’re also a great danger. Besides, people with blood pressure will also be affected gravely.
If you suspect that your child has taken rat poison, you should take them to see a physician immediately. Some people have reported bleeding in kids who have ingested a mouthful of the rat bait. For instance, if your kid weighs about 10 kilograms and consumes rat poison with brodifacoum, they will have to eat at least 1.5 milligrams of the bait for their normal blood clotting to be affected.
Note that most of the rat baits have 50 mg per kilogram of the rat poison or less. In short, if your kid takes around 30 grams of the rat poison, he or she will begin to experience negative side effects. However, if a kid comes across the bait, there’s a high chance that they will ingest enough poison to harm them.
Summary
Rat poison can kill humans if ingested in large doses. Several factors also play a part, such as age, body weight, genetics, and underlying conditions. Additionally, it also depends on the type of mouse poison. Some rat poisons, such as those with second-generation anticoagulants, are more lethal than those with first-generation anticoagulants.
However, you can stay safe and avoid ingesting rat poison while eliminating rat infestation in your home. Ensure to handle the rodenticide carefully and keep it out of reach of your kids. And if you suspect any side effects of rat poison in kids or adults, rush the person to the hospital for treatment.