Disease
Pet ownership, no matter the animal, comes with possible health risks. However, education is your best defense when it comes to rats.
Zoonotic Diseases
The diseases below are capable of rat to human transfer, and pose varying risks to the human population. While transmission between domestic rats and humans is rare, understanding the risks and how to prevent them is a best practice.
Seoul Virus is a type of hantavirus commonly associated with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Symptoms appear with one to two 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 dust particles into the air, spray down any bedding before moving it, wash your hands before and after handling your rat.
Asymptomatic in rats.
For more information, see CDC.gov on Seoul.
Description courtesy of Once Upon a Mischief Rattery.
Rat Bite Fever or Streptobacillus moniliformis is an infectious bacteria. Contrary to its name, Rat Bite Fever is found in more than just rats: mice, hamsters and gerbils can also carry it. Symptoms appear within 3–10 days of infection, but can take up to three 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 scratch or bite from a rodent, even if they do not bite or scratch you, handling rodents with the disease via respiratory secretions, and through ingesting food and water contaminated with rodent feces or urine. 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 and cleaning their cages.
Asymptomatic in rats.
For more information, see CDC.gov on RBF.
Description courtesy of Once Upon a Mischief Rattery.
Salmonellosis or 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 animals, but it considered very rare in domestic rats.
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 mucus
or blood, lethargy, and they may vomit or have a fever. Prevention of transmission to humans includes making sure you buy animals that appear healthy, animals with severe diarrhea should be avoided. They should be bright-eyed and active. Always wash hands after handling any animal, and avoid eating or 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 systems. Symptoms should fade within 5–7 days.
Symptoms in rats
Depression
Dehydration and rough body coat
Distended/swollen abdomen
Diarrhea and weight loss
Spontaneous abortion (in pregnant rats)
Fatal (in most cases)
For more information, see CDC.gov on Salmonella.
Description courtesy of Once Upon a Mischief Rattery.
Leptospirosis 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 between 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 through) and through contact with water, soil or food contaminated with the urine of infected animals.
Prevention of transmission includes avoiding urine of infected animals, wash your hands after handling, do not eat or drink around your pets. Be sure to vaccinate your pets against leptospirosis as well. To protect your domestic rats, ensure they are safe from contact with wild rodents.
Asymptomatic in rats.
For more information, see CDC.gov on Leptospirosis.
Description courtesy of Once Upon a Mischief Rattery.
The primary host of lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV) is the common house mouse. Pet rodents can become infected after being in contact with wild house mice infesting pet stores or homes. Pregnant women are most at risk from LCMV infection, which can cause birth defects and intellectual disabilities in the unborn baby. LCMV infections can occur after exposure to fresh urine, droppings, saliva, or nesting materials from infected rodents.
Symptoms include:
Fever
Stiff neck
Lack of appetite
Muscle aches
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Symptoms usually occurs 8-13 days after exposure and last around a week. a second phase of illness may occur. Symptoms may consist of meningitis (fever, headache, stiff neck, etc.), encephalitis (drowsiness, confusion, sensory disturbances, and/or motor abnormalities, such as paralysis), or meningoencephalitis (inflammation of both the brain and meninges). In most cases, LCMV is not fatal.
Asymptomatic in rats.
Sendai Virus causes significant respiratory distress in rats, and while it is zoonotic, humans experience only mild illness.
SV poses a far greater threat to immunodeficient domestic rats and mice in the home. It is normally asymptomatic in immunocompetent rats.
Streptobacillus moniliformis
A note on Rat Bite Fever
Bleuming Tails Rattery is aware of the current concern regarding Streptobacillus moniliformis, also known as rat bite fever, in the pet rat population.
BTR has chosen to wait and see as the community as a whole discovers more about this bacteria. To date, nothing concrete is actually known, only speculated.
This includes prevalency, transmission rates, illness and fatality rates, or if it is able to go dormant and cause false positives.
Education is our best weapon, and following proper and basic health protocols, such as good handwashing practices, when handling rats is key to staying safe until we know more. Purchasing well-tempered rats from an ethical breeder can help prevent bites and further reduce transmission risks.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out via bleumingtailsrattery@gmail.com.
Transmissable Diseases
The diseases below are not zoonotic, but are transmissible between animals. Most are rodent to rodent, but certain ones, like leptospirosis, can infect other species of animals.
Species affected: Rats
SDAV is a highly contagious virus from the Coronaviridae family that transmits via aerosol or contact with infected salivary secretions. This means that animals in the same air space are at risk of catching the virus without physical contact. Diagnosis is completed via serology or PCR testing via Charles River Labs.
Symptoms include:
Swelling around the neck and cervical nodes
Bulging of eyes
May see porphyrin staining, bleeding, or discoloration of tissue around the eyes
Symptoms of secondary respiratory infection:
Sneezing
Fluid filled lungs
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
In most cases and in immunocompetent animals, SDAV is not fatal, but it does open the pathway for secondary infections to set in. Due to the endemic Mycoplasma bacteria, this secondary infection often presents as a severe Upper Respiratory Infection.
After exposure, rats can begin to show symptoms as early as 5 days (porphyrin staining) with respiratory involvement and cervical swelling by 7–8 days. SDAV does not have a carrier state, meaning that the virus will burn through the population in 7 to 10 days per infected rat.
For pet owners experiencing an SDAV outbreak, cease introducing new rats to the home, visiting homes or stores with rats, and interacting with wild rodents for 6 weeks to ensure proper burn out.
Species affected: Rats
P. Carinii is a fungus found in the family Pneumocystidaceae. Pneumocystis infection causes chronic progressive pneumonia, and immunocompetent rats, P. Carinii causes infectious interstitial pneumonia (IIP). It can be transmitted via aerosol, fomites, and direct contact with infected animals. Healthy animals will eliminate the infection and cease shedding after 3–8 weeks, but unhealthy animals may shed spores indefinitely. Diagnosis is completed either during a necropsy or PCR testing.
Symptoms include:
Hunched posture
Dry skin/ruffled fur
Weight loss
Labored breathing
Species affected: Rats, mice, rabbits, and some livestock species
CARB is a type of bacteria and is transmitted via direct contact. There is no evidence for transmission by fomites, vectors, or aerosols. CARB may result in a chronic progressive respiratory disease. More typically it is seen in conjunction with Mycoplasma pulmonis. It may increase the severity of disease caused by M. pulmonis and other respiratory pathogens, such as P. Carinii. Infection in domestic rats is suggested as common.
Symptoms include:
Rattled breathing
Labored breathing
Rapid weight loss
Hunching posture
Rough coat
Wheezing
Lethargy
Head tilt
Porphyrin discharge from eyes and nose
May be asymptomatic
For more information, see CRiver on Filobacterium rodentium.
Species affected: Rats
Mycoplasma is considered a highly contagious endemic bacteria that is specific to rats. Mycoplasma can be responsible for various types of infections, and is unique in its makeup, rendering popular antibiotics ineffective. A combination of Enrofloxacin and Doxycycline is the most popular form of symptom management as the bacteria cannot be fully eradicated. Often an agent for Chronic Respiratory Infections.
Upper respiratory symptoms include:
Sneezing
Snuffling
Squinting
Porphyrin staining around eyes and nose
Inner ear infection symptoms include:
Head tilt
Rolling
Face or ear rubbing
Lower respiratory symptoms include:
Bronchiolitis
Bronchiectasis
Bronchopneumonia
Rattling moist breath sounds
Labored breathing
Gasping, chattering, and coughing
Hunched posturing with rough coat
Weight loss
Changes in behavior due to illness
Genital infections include (fatal if left untreated):
Pyometra or purulent endometritis (inflammation of the lining of the uterus)
Salpingitis (inflammation of fallopian tubes)
Perioophoritis (inflammation of ovaries)
Symptoms:
Abdominal distention or signs of blood-tinged uterine discharge
May be asymptomatic.