Rats are known to carry which disease?

• A. Bubonic plague
• B. Malaria
• C. Rabies
• D. Salmonellosis

Answer: (A)

Rats serve as reservoirs for diseases, and the most famous one linked to them is bubonic plague. The danger comes from fleas that live on rats carrying the bacterium Yersinia pestis; when an infected flea bites a person, the bacterium can enter the body and cause plague. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, not rodents; rabies spreads through the bite of infected animals and isn’t classically linked to rats; and while rats can carry Salmonella and contribute to foodborne illness, the disease most widely associated with rats in pest control contexts is bubonic plague.