Dr Andrew Peters also urged people to take precautions when disposing of hundreds of mice a day to minimise the risks.

The Associate Professor in Wildlife Health and Pathology with CSU's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences warned of the dangers of mouse urine and faeces in food, or dead mice contaminating water tanks, potentially proving harmful to the health of people and their pets.

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Contact with wild mice can lead to symptoms ranging from nothing to very serious illness, including leptospirosis and salmonella, and hospitalisation, he reports.

"There are a number of infectious diseases in mice that can cause illness in people, especially through contamination of food or water," he said.

"These can be a significant risk to human health."

Residents have been baiting and trapping the rodents for months, but Dr Peters said there were risks in handling them and disposing of their carcasses.

"It's important to make sure that, when handling mouse carcasses especially, adequate care is taken to protect yourself and others," he said.

When faced with having to dispose of hundreds of mouse carcasses a day, Dr Peters advises contacting the local council, as this can pose a risk to workers involved in waste disposal.

There is little evidence on the risk of infection associated with contact with wild mice because many cases of zoonotic diseases (where an animal infects a person) are underreported or undiagnosed, he reports.

"While we don't know exactly how serious the health risk is to people during mouse plagues, the extra level of contact with wild mice during these events probably causes additional risk, and that is worth trying to prevent," Dr Peters said.

Dr Peters said to limit the chance of infection or disease, people should take precautions including regular washing of hands, wearing gloves when handling mice, keeping mice away from food and seeking expert advice on water treatment.

Disposal of dead mice should follow local council advice but could include commercial bio-waste composting or double-bagging for removal with standard waste, he said.

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