Do Rats Bite People? Rat Bite Fever and Real Risk
Rats do bite people, but rarely, and mostly at night in heavily infested, run-down housing, most often on the hands and faces of sleeping young children. A Philadelphia health department study of 622 confirmed rat bites found most happened in the bedroom between midnight and 8 AM, mostly to children aged 5 and under. Most bites are minor, but rats can pass on rat-bite fever, which CDC says must be treated quickly. Rabies is not a realistic risk: none of 1,052 US rats tested from 2011 to 2020 had it.
Awake, a wild rat avoids people and bites when it is cornered, grabbed or trapped. The bites that public health departments record are a different pattern: a sleeping person, an infested building, an exposed hand. That distinction tells you who is actually at risk and what prevents it.
Do rats bite humans? What the situation means
| Situation | How likely a bite is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rat seen outdoors, in a yard or alley | Very unlikely; it will run | Leave it alone; remove food and shelter |
| Rat cornered in a garage or room | Possible if you approach or grab it | Open an exit and step back; never handle it |
| Rat caught in a live trap or glue board | Likely if handled | Do not touch it with bare hands |
| Rats inside a home where people sleep | Low, but this is where recorded bites happen | Treat as urgent; protect infants and anyone unable to wake easily |
| Pet rat being handled | Occasional nips, especially if startled | Wash any bite or scratch; watch for fever |
| Bitten or scratched by any rat | Infection is uncommon but possible | Wash with soap and water and contact a doctor |
Do rats bite humans while sleeping?
Yes, and that is when most recorded bites happen. The Philadelphia study, by Hirschhorn and Hodge of the city’s public health department, reviewed 622 confirmed rat bite cases from 1974 to 1996. The majority of bites were on the face and hands and occurred in the bedroom between midnight and 8 AM. Rat bites primarily affected children 5 and under, most occurred in warmer months, and the physical condition of the building and its neighbours was a significant factor.
An emergency medicine study of 50 rat bite patients, published in 1985, found the same pattern: 72 per cent were bitten while asleep, which the authors suggest explains why 84 per cent of wounds were on the exposed upper limbs and face.
Can rats bite you at night?
Night is when rats are active, and UC IPM says they are mostly nocturnal. A rat exploring a bedroom for food can come across a sleeping person. This is uncommon even in rat-infested homes, but it is the documented route for most recorded bites, which is why rats indoors where people sleep warrant fast action. How long an individual rat is likely to be around, and how fast it is replaced, is covered in how long rats live.
Who gets bitten, and why poor housing matters
Rat bites track poverty and building condition more than anything else. New York City data from the 1970s show the scale and the pattern:
| Study | Place and years | Cases | Key findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coombe and Marr, 1980 | New York City, 1974 to 1978 | 1,069 reported bites | Fell from 226 in 1974 to 162 in 1978 (2 per 100,000); 87.9% indoors; 41.4% on the hand; highest rates in children under 5 |
| Hirschhorn and Hodge, 1999 | Philadelphia, 1974 to 1996 | 622 confirmed bites | Mostly children 5 and under; face and hands; bedroom, midnight to 8 AM; warmer months; poor building condition |
| Ordog and colleagues, 1985 | Emergency department series | 50 patients | 72% bitten asleep; 84% of wounds on upper limbs and face; 1 infection (2%) |
| Childs and colleagues, 1998 | New York City, 1986 to 1994 | 415 city blocks with bites | Bite blocks clustered; a model built on earlier years flagged 72% of 1995 bite addresses as high or intermediate risk |
Two findings stand out. In New York, the fall in reported bites from neighbourhoods with active rodent control programmes was twice the fall in areas without them, according to Coombe and Marr. And the CDC-led 1998 study showed bite locations cluster so strongly that they can be used to map rat infestation across a city. Bites are a symptom of where rats live alongside people, not of rats being aggressive.
Rats in city housing today
There is no current national count of rat bites, and none of these studies is recent. What city data does show is rats inside homes. In our analysis of New York housing code violations, inspectors cited rats in housing 3,532 times in 2025, up from 604 in 2019.
We would not read that as six times more rats; enforcement and recording changes are likely part of it, as we explain in roaches and mice in New York apartments. If you report rats to a city, know what a closed complaint means: in our analysis of rat complaint response, New York’s 311 system closes a complaint when it is referred, not when an inspector visits.
Will a rat attack a human being?
Not in the sense of an unprovoked attack on an awake adult. The recorded pattern is defensive bites when rats are cornered or handled, and exploratory bites on sleeping people in heavily infested homes. In a late-1980s Baltimore survey of 1,363 people, residents reported more contact with house mice than rats inside their homes, even though rats were more often seen on the streets.
Rat bite fever: the infection that matters
CDC says rat-bite fever in North America is caused mainly by the bacterium Streptobacillus moniliformis; a second organism, Spirillum minus, causes more cases in Asia. CDC lists rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs and squirrels as carriers, and notes that the infection can also spread through scratches, contact with urine or contaminated food and drink, so a bite is not required.
Symptoms of rat bite fever
According to CDC, symptoms of the North American form usually include fever, vomiting, headache and muscle pain. About half of people also have joint pain or swelling, and 3 in 4 develop a rash, which may appear on the hands and feet 2 to 4 days after the fever begins.
CDC is direct about severity: rat-bite fever must be treated quickly, or it can cause severe illness and possibly death. CDC also notes that it is rare in the US and that recent case reports have highlighted an emerging risk among infants, children and teens.
Is a rat bite dangerous?
Usually not, but it should always be checked. In the 1985 series of 50 bites, only one wound became infected, and bacteria were cultured from 30 per cent of wounds. The risk is the infection that can follow, which is why the advice is the same for every bite. Mice carry the same bacteria; the wider picture of rodent-borne illness is in are mice dangerous.
What to do if a rat bites you
- Wash the bite or scratch with soap and running water.
- Contact a doctor or urgent care promptly, and say it was a rat. They will advise on infection risk and tetanus.
- If fever, rash, vomiting or joint pain develops in the following days or weeks, seek medical care immediately and mention the rodent contact, as CDC advises.
- Do not try to catch the rat. Note where it came from so the entry point can be found.
Rabies vaccine is rarely needed after a rat bite. A study of US rabies testing from 2011 to 2020, co-authored by CDC scientists, found no rabid rats among 1,052 tested and no rabid house mice among 840. CDC’s own risk algorithm classes small rodents as negligible risk and says to contact public health only if the animal showed signs of neurological disease.
Do rat bites hurt?
Usually, yes. Rats gnaw wood and wiring, according to UC IPM, and in New York’s 1970s bite records the hand, particularly the fingers, was the most common site. Pain is not a guide to infection risk, so even a small bite deserves the steps above. If you are not sure what bit you, bite identification covers the common culprits.
Do rats bite dogs?
A cornered rat may bite a dog that catches it, and contact itself carries risk. CDC says dogs and cats can become infected with rat-bite fever bacteria through contact with infected rodents and can pass them on to people. Dogs can also catch leptospirosis from contact with infected urine in water or soil, according to CDC. If your dog is bitten or catches a rat, call your vet. Rat poison, eaten directly or through a poisoned rat, is a separate hazard to pets.
How to keep rats from biting anyone in your home
- Treat rats indoors as urgent when there are infants, young children or anyone who sleeps heavily in the home.
- Cut off food at night: no food in bedrooms, dishes washed, pet food put away.
- Seal entry points: UC IPM says holes larger than a quarter inch should be sealed to exclude rats and mice, and young rats can squeeze under a door with a half-inch gap.
- Remove outdoor attractants, covered in what attracts rats.
- Get professional help for burrows, rats in walls or rats in an apartment building. Roof rats nest overhead in attics and need a different inspection; see roof rats.
What smell do rats hate most?
No smell has been shown to keep rats away for long. UC IPM says rats have an initial aversion to some odours and tastes, but no repellent has been found to solve a rat problem for more than a very short time, and there are no truly effective rat repellents registered in California. Sealing gaps and removing food work; scents do not.
Is it safe to sleep with a rat in your room?
It is not a sensible risk to take, especially for children. Most recorded bites happen to sleeping people in infested homes. Close the room off if you can, keep food out, and arrange trapping or professional treatment the next day.
Frequently asked questions
Do pet rats bite?
Occasionally, usually when startled, handled roughly or when a hand smells of food. A pet rat bite can carry rat-bite fever just as a wild rat’s can: CDC lists pet rodent owners among the groups at higher risk. Wash any bite or scratch and contact a doctor if fever, rash or joint pain follows within the next three weeks.
How common are rat bites?
Uncommon, and no current national count exists. New York City recorded 1,069 reported bites over 1974 to 1978, about 2 per 100,000 people a year by the end of that period, and Philadelphia confirmed 622 over 23 years. Reported numbers fell over time in both cities, especially where rodent control programmes were active.
Can rats give you rabies?
Practically no. US surveillance from 2011 to 2020 found no rabid rats among 1,052 tested, and rodents are not rabies reservoirs in the US. CDC classes small rodents as negligible risk. A doctor should still assess any bite, because rat-bite fever and ordinary wound infection are the realistic concerns.
How long after a rat bite do symptoms of rat bite fever start?
Usually 3 to 10 days after exposure for the North American form, and sometimes up to 21 days, according to CDC. Early symptoms are fever, vomiting, headache and muscle pain, often followed by a rash on the hands and feet within 2 to 4 days of the fever. Anyone with these symptoms after rodent contact should seek medical care immediately.
Sources
- Hirschhorn, R.B. and Hodge, R.R., Identification of risk factors in rat bite incidents involving humans, Pediatrics 104(3): e35, 1999.
- Coombe, N. and Marr, J.S., Rat bites support need for in-home control: an epidemiologic study of rat bites in New York City, 1974 to 1978, Journal of Environmental Health 42(6), 1980.
- Ordog, G.J., Balasubramanium, S. and Wasserberger, J., Rat bites: fifty cases, Annals of Emergency Medicine 14(2), 1985.
- Childs, J.E. et al., Epidemiology of rodent bites and prediction of rat infestation in New York City, American Journal of Epidemiology 148(1), 1998.
- Childs, J.E. et al., Human-rodent contact and infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis and Seoul viruses in an inner-city population, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 44(2), 1991.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Rat-Bite Fever; Clinical Overview of Rat-Bite Fever; About Leptospirosis.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis risk algorithm, 2026.
- Hareza, D.A. et al., Rabies in rodents and lagomorphs in the USA, 2011 to 20, Journal of Wildlife Diseases 59(4), 2023.
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, Pest Notes: Rats, UC ANR Publication 74106, N. Quinn, 2025.
- The Pest Control Brief, Roaches and Mice in New York Apartments, analysis of NYC HPD housing maintenance code violations, 2026.
- The Pest Control Brief, How Long Cities Take to Respond to Rat Complaints, analysis of NYC and Chicago 311 service requests, 2026.
