Originally Posted by
SchmeckFlyer
Not to be too pedantic, but plague is not carried by mice but rather by a particular kind of flee that live on rats.
Mice at Schiphol are probably cleaner than many people living in urban slums, unfortunately.
Since the fleas were carried by rodents the presence of the rodents was a major factr facilitating the spread of that disease. And that's obviously just an example. Lack of sanitation is a major factor in low life expectancy in the Third World today.
And I would agree with JumboJet - what you see in mice/rats is typically just the tip of the iceberg. They are always around - but a well-controlled presence is one that you don't notice while sitting in a lounge.