Saw a rat in my garden now worried about contracting Hantavirus

[Nighttime pacer]

Hi all,
2 days ago I was looking out into my garden and totally freaked when I saw a rat which entered from a shared side access then ran when it saw me looking out of the window. It ran down to the bottom of the garden and then back again when it realised it couldn't escape and found a gap by a fence post and went into the garden next door.
I'm now worried about hantavirus and Weil's disease especially as I need to go out into the garden tomorrow and open a side gate for a neighbour who's son is coming to mow her lawn and she can't open the side gate.
My garden is mainly paving slabs with a few flower beds.
I'm worried about dust being created if I walk on them and wondered if the rat urinated as it ran.
I have thrown some water with bleach in it from the doors of my lounge and kitchen as far as I can.
I did read that it's killed by sunlight in a few hours and it has been very sunny for the last 2 days so hoping at the right time of day the areas got enough sun.
My damn health anxiety is a nightmare at the moment!
Thanks for reading
Nighttime pacer

[pav1984]

Do you realise how close most of us are to rats? You dont normally see them cos they are scared of you. I really wouldn't stress unless you decided to eat its faeces. Chances are you have been washing your hands loads anyway due to the current climate so that would reduce your chances even more.

[Nighttime pacer]

Hi Pav1984,
Thanks for answering.
Yeah I realise I'm probably constantly walking along pavements where rats have been. It's the fact you can catch hantavirus by breathing dust containing the virus which worries me but it's been really sunny which kills it and also quite breezy which dissipates it. I'm less worried now and assume in a few days the worry will completely go away.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Do you realise how close most of us are to rats? You dont normally see them cos they are scared of you. I really wouldn't stress unless you decided to eat its faeces. Chances are you have been washing your hands loads anyway due to the current climate so that would reduce your chances even more.

Exactly. They are in our gardens a lot but we don't see them. They are everywhere.

That rat has probably been in & out of your garden many times but you are fine. It's only now that you are worrying because it has triggered a fear yet it wasn't triggering you all those other times it was likely in your garden.

Hantavirus is very rare in the UK yet our rats are everywhere.

[Nighttime pacer]

Thanks My name is Terry, I know you're right.
This forum really is an absolute lifesaver when my health anxiety's really bad. The trouble is I've mentioned my health anxiety to friends and they just don't get it and one friend the other night started making fun of it over a video call.
She's a nice person but it really hurt.

[pav1984]

Dont worry we all are guilty of it or have been at some point. The fear is very real to you at the time. Hope we helped somewhat

[nomorepanic]

I have 3 rats living in my garden on and off and I have never got ill from them at all.

[Nighttime pacer]

Hi Nicola,
Thanks for that. A friend of mine who used to be a paramedic said “we get rats in the garden, I wouldn’t worry unless you get them in the house!”. I know I must have walked for years on pavements where rats have been.

[Lolalee1]

I have seen a lot of rats some of them the size of a small roo my sister has a pet rat named Ben I remember when she left the door open on the cage and the muva’s were breeding in her posh sofa.:roflmao:

[Nighttime pacer]

I went out into the garden this morning and threw down some water with bleach in it in a line up to the gate that I had to open for my neighbour. I just told my neighbour's son over the fence (keeping a decent distance apart) that I had seen a rat walk through the garden 3 days ago. He didn't seem bothered and said "I'll have a look about while I'm cutting the grass". It made me realise that most people don't freak to the degree that I do as most people don't have health anxiety. I even spoke to a pharmacist this morning who said the issue with catching most of the diseases from rats is being directly in contact with them or their urine and mainly in enclosed spaces where any airborne viruses or bacteria can't dissipate. He said the reason I saw a rat was probably that because few people are about their enjoying their freedom a little bit. I also think there's much less food waste about as most of the takeaway places a bakeries in my town centre are shut.
I'm trying to calm down but I'm still a little anxious. The fact that 2 medically trained people have told me it's really unlikely I'll catch anything and I'm still worrying must just mean it's my anxiety generally that's the problem.
Thank again everyone.

[ankietyjoe]

Yeah there are rats everywhere, all the time.

As long as you don't pick them up and lick them, you'll be fine.

[wilky44]

Yeah there are rats everywhere, all the time.

As long as you don't pick them up and lick them, you'll be fine.

Not something high on my bucket list..