Long ago, the story goes, a king kidnapped two sons of a god, stuffed them in a basket and set them afloat on Italy’s Tiber ...

You’re more likely to get sick if you come in contact with fresh mouse droppings in a poorly ventilated space. The risk and type of infection may also depend on your location.

Rat-Bite Fever: Don’t be tricked by the name; you don’t really need to be bit. It also comes in a foodborne version called Haverhill fever, after a Massachusetts town where infected rats ...