Why are rats disliked?
It's clear from the English language that rats don't have the best reputation in our culture. Rats are seen as dirty, vicious and the spreaders of disease including the plague - which in the 14th century caused the deaths of more than a third of Europe's population. What is the main problem with rats? One of the main reasons rats are often unwelcome house guests is that they can carry pathogens that may transmit disease to humans, including hantavirus.