There may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Cohen: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is rare — the chance of getting the disease is 1 in 13,,, which is less likely than being struck by lightning. There were only 54 total reported cases in California from to until Rats are more than just an annoyance. They can cause irreversible damage to your property — and even kill you.
Clean Out Use only wet cleaning methods to avoid creating dust. If you need to clean rodent nests or droppings, spray them with a disinfectant such as chlorine bleach, a phenol-type spray such as Lysol, or other chemicals labeled to kill viruses to disinfect the area and material.
There are three cases of a bacterial infection caused by rat urine, one of them fatal, in the Bronx according to New York City officials. The manner of death was deemed natural. Rats and mice urinate, a lot. They use pee as a way to mark trails and territories. Rats will urinate on top of scent trails to show dominance and on food to mark it as their own. Rats generally only prey on chicks and eggs, but if you have a serious infestation and food is scarce, they will raid coops at night and attack juvenile and adult birds.
Rats kill by biting the head or neck of their prey. Hantavirus is carried by rodents, particularly deer mice. The virus is found in their urine and feces, but it does not make the animal sick. These babies may then become infected 2—7 months after the effects of maternal antibodies have worn off. At this point they would have less evidence of clinical disease. If the mother has been infected and has not had time to build up antibodies, then the developing babies can be affected in utero.
Infection early in the pregnancy may lead to partial or total resorption of the fetuses. If a dam is infected in the last trimester with no antibodies present she may then transfer the virus either in utero or through milk, after they are born, to the surviving offspring. Infection occurring from the third trimester in utero through the first week of life can result in rats with a more persistent infection. Early infection such as this can take up to six months to clear.
The younger the rat is at initial infection the longer the disease will persist. Once the rats get past the active infection, typically 60—90 days, the virus does remain in certain tissues including the spleen, lymph nodes, and walls of blood vessels. These areas of infection are not affiliated with the transmission routes such as the urinary tract, mammary glands, and digestive system and therefore the virus will no longer be transmitted via urine, milk, or feces.
Note that once a rat is exposed it will continue to test positive for RV on serology tests even after the active infection as cleared. Research has shown that if a normally post-infectious rat is stressed either physically or psychologically there is a possibility that the RV can be reactivated and transmitted to other rats. In a rat with immune system disorders it would be possible for RV to persistently infect.
Particularly virulent strains may persist past the normal predicted times. A colony showing a decrease in pregnancies and litter size may be infected with RV. If you feel serological testing is needed you, or your vet, can contact a testing lab to get specific instructions on how to prepare a test sample. RV antibodies can show up on a standard serum test as soon as seven days post-exposure but it is recommended to wait 14—21 days after possible exposure for more accurate testing.
The rat being tested should be at least two months of age. Remember that young adult antibody-positive rat may have maternal antibody and not antibody developed as a result of active Infection. If your vet does not have the equipment to spin the blood then the lab can explain alternate methods.
Pooling blood will decrease the accuracy of your results. Do not add anticoagulants. If the sample is diluted with saline please note the ratio usually 4 parts saline—1 part whole blood. Samples can be iced and shipped overnight. RV is not known to be a health concern in pet rat colonies. Even so, it is advisable to stay cognizant of the potential and keep an eye out for subtle signs of infection.
In the breeding environment, it may affect the outcomes of planned breeding. It is not typically a health issue and can be active in a colony with little or no effect. Once rats have shed the virus they are not typically contagious to others, but they will continue to test positive for RV and there is no conclusive proof that it can no longer be transmitted.
It is possible for the RV Infection to become reactivated in a rat, thus infecting new additions. It is also possible for new rats to become infected via fomites. A positive result can simply mean that the rat has been infected at some point in the past and is no longer shedding the virus. DNA testing performed on excreta can indicate whether or not virus is still being shed.
More Invasive terminal procedures are required to show whether the rat Is Infected at sites not expected to be associated with transmission. DNA testing may not be a practical option for the pet owner or hobby breeder because it is very expensive and may require euthanasia of the rat.
Some breeders and fanciers may choose to attempt to clear their colonies of RV. It may be possible to do so although there are factors that make such an attempt difficult. The effort would mean that the fancier would have to consider not only the rats, but also the environmental aspects.
The findings confirmed observations House made during the experiments, when he noticed that the infected rats did not run when they smelled cat urine, but actually seemed drawn to it and spent more time investigating it than they would just by chance. Although House doesn't have the data yet to speculate on just how the cysts in the rats' brains are causing the behavioral changes, he is impressed with what Toxoplasma can accomplish. Because Toxoplasma reproduces in the small intestine of cats, the parasites are excreted in feces, which is presumably how rats get infected.
Rats are known to be extremely curious, tasting almost everything they come in contact with. Toxoplasma is also frequently found in fertilizer and can infect virtually any mammal. Approximately one third of the world's human population is infected with Toxoplasma. For most people, it appears to present no danger, although it can be fatal in people with compromised immune systems. It also can cross the placental barrier in a pregnant woman and lead to many complications, which is why pregnant women are advised not to clean cat litter boxes.
House said humans acquire the parasite by eating undercooked meat or "eating little bits of cat poop, which I suspect happens more often than people want to admit. Although Toxoplasma has not been shown to have any ill effects in most people, one can't help but wonder whether it truly has no effect in humans.
The studies haven't shown cause and effect, but it's possible," House said. We are afraid of and attracted to things — it's similar circuitry. Robert Sapolsky, Biology Department: sapolsky stanford. Patrick House, Neuroscience Department: , pathouse stanford. Louis Bergeron, Stanford News Service: , louisb3 stanford. A publication of Stanford's Office of University Communications.
Stanford , California
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