Disease Disclosure

It is important to understand that your pet rat can be a vector for diseases, just as any domestic or wild animal can be. Your rat may or may not show symptoms of these diseases but can still transfer them to you. Many of these diseases do not affect a healthy human adult but for those with immune-compromised systems, including but not limited to: children under 5 years of age, pregnant women, the elderly, those on immune-suppressant drugs, or with viral infections, rats may need to be reconsidered as pets.

Below is a list of the zoonosis diseases and the symptoms that may be carried by pet rats:

Seoul Strain of Hantavirus
Seoul Virus is a type of Hantavirus commonly associated with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Symptoms appear within 1-2 weeks and in rare cases up to 8 weeks.
Symptoms include:

• • Intense headaches
• • Back and abdominal pain
• • Fever
• • Chills
• • Nausea
• • Blurred vision
• • Later symptoms include low blood pressure, acute shock, vascular leakage, and acute renal failure. In rare cases, it can be fatal.

Seoul Virus is transmitted through the feces, urine, and saliva. The most common transmission happens when feces, urine, or saliva is dried into dust, the dust particles fly up and we breathe them in. Seoul Virus cannot be spread from person to person or person to rat.
To prevent infection, wear a mask and gloves when cleaning cages, do not use a vacuum or sweep particles into the air, spray down any bedding before moving it, and wash your hands before and after handling your rat(s).

Rat Bite Fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis)
RBF is an infectious bacteria. Contrary to its name, RBF is found in more than just rats: mice, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and squirrels can also carry it. Infrequently in dogs, cats, ferrets, weasels, cattle, koalas, non-human primates, and turkeys, but it is not well documented. Symptoms appear within 3-10 days of infection but can take up to 3 weeks.
Symptoms include:

• • Fever
• • Vomiting
• • Headache
• • Muscle pain
• • Joint pain
• • Rash
• • In rare cases without treatment, Rat Bite Fever can be fatal.

RBF is transmitted through a bite or scratch from a rodent, handling rodents with the disease, even if they do not bite or scratch you, and through ingested food/water contaminated with rodent feces. It is not transmitted from person to person.
To prevent RBF, regularly wash your hands, wear protective gloves when washing cages, and avoid putting your hands in your mouth when handling your rats/cleaning cages.

Salmonellosis
Salmonellosis/Salmonella is a common disease which most people associate with undercooked chicken. All common pets can carry salmonella in their digestive tract including: dogs, cats, rats, mice, rabbits, lizards, and snakes. Salmonella infection can occur in humans and the animals.
Symptoms for humans include:

• • Diarrhea
• • Vomiting
• • Fever
• • Abdominal pain
• • For the immune-compromised, the symptoms can be life threatening.

Symptoms are rare in small animals but include diarrhea that contains mucous or blood, lethargy, or they may vomit or have a fever. Prevention of transmission to humans includes making sure to buy animals that appear healthy, animals with severe diarrhea should be avoided. They should be bright eyed and active. Always wash hands after handling an animal and avoid eating and drinking around your pets. If you do become infected, rarely is hospitalization required, the treatment is just lots of fluids while the bacteria moves out of your system. Symptoms should fade within 5-7 days.

Leptospirosis
This is a bacteria called leptospiria.
Symptoms include:

• • High fever
• • Headache
• • Chills
• • Muscle aches
• • Vomiting
• • Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
• • Red eyes
• • Abdominal pain
• • Diarrhea
• • Rash

Some infected people never show symptoms. They will become sick within 2 days to 4 weeks after exposure. If the first symptoms progress a person may experience kidney or liver failure or meningitis. The second part of the infection is called Weil’s disease. People can become infected with leptospirosis through contact with urine or other bodily fluids (not saliva though) and through contact with water, soil, or food contaminated with urine of infected animals. Prevention of transmission includes avoiding urine and infected animals, wash your hands after handling, do not eat or drink around your pets.