Bringing any animal into your home raises questions about whether they can make you sick, give you a disease, or bite you. In truth, any domestic animal can carry disease and rats are no exception.
Though rare, it’s possible to catch certain infections from domestic rats that can make you sick. Some diseases that can be transmitted from rats to humans include rat bite fever, leptospirosis, hantavirus, salmonella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV).
This article covers the illnesses pet rats can spread, and some safety tips.
❗The CDC discourages pregnant women, children under 5, and people with weakened immune systems from keeping rats as pets.
Sicknesses you can get from rats
Diseases that can spread from animals to humans (and vice versa) are called zoonotic diseases. Any domestic animal (including dogs, cats, livestock, and small animals like hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils etc.) is capable of spreading disease to humans.
This article covers the pros and cons of owning a pet, and talks about the likelihood and severity of different zoonotic diseases. As you can see, there are quite a few nasties you can get from dogs, cats, and other domestic animals as well.
When you first bring a rat home, it’s always a great idea (for both you and your new rat) to have it checked out by your vet to make sure it’s not carrying something it could infect you with. Rats who carry certain viruses and bacteria don’t always look sick themselves.
Do pet rats carry diseases?
Rats get a bad rap in the media for being full of diseases or “plague rats” as the saying goes! Believe it or not, scientists are starting to abandon the theory that rats even caused the plague in the first place.
With that said, certain illnesses can be transmitted from rats to humans through bites, scratches, dander, and coming into contact with infected urine or feces. Here are some diseases that rats can pass to humans:
Rat bite fever
Rat bite fever is caused by a type of strep bacteria. It can cause fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, stomach pain, a rash on the hands and feet, and/or nausea. Symptoms can appear days after the original bite – sometimes even 2-3 weeks later. Like with other diseases, RBF is a lot less common in pet rats as in wild rats.
In spite of the name, rat bite fever can also be contracted from their urine and feces. Outbreaks have occurred in the past (caused by wild rats) after people drank liquids contaminated with the bacteria.
Rat bite fever is treatable with antibiotics. It’s essential to see a doctor if you experience any symptoms after being bitten by a rat. Rat bite fever can become fatal if left untreated (in about 10% of cases.) Young children are especially at risk of more serious symptoms.
Rat bite fever can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms can be caused by all kinds of different things. If you’ve been bitten by a rat and feel unwell, make sure to let your doctor know about the bite.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacteria that animals can spread through infected urine and feces. It can also be carried by cattle, pigs, dogs, raccoons, and other rodents.
Animals typically pick up leptospirosis from drinking, swimming or wading through wild infected bodies of water. Humans can also catch leptospirosis from swimming in lakes and rivers.
If your rats never go outside, it’s unlikely that they’ll pick it up from inside your house. If you bring items like tree branches inside for them to use, make sure you wash them thoroughly and dry them out before giving them to your rats. Soil used for digging boxes or bioactive enclosures should be purchased from a store to make sure it’s sterile.
Leptospirosis can have different symptoms ranging from mild to severe: fever, head or muscle aches, chills, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. It can be quite nasty and long lasting if not treated.
Hantavirus
Hantavirus can be particularly nasty if it develops into severe illness. It spreads through droppings and urine, or from the bedding of an infected rat.
Like other illnesses on this list, a mild hantavirus infection may be similar to the flu, causing fever, fatigue, head and muscle aches, dizziness, chills and digestive problems. It can progress to become life threatening, so it’s important to see a doctor if you have a pet rat and experience these symptoms.
One study done in England found that one third of fancy rat owners tested positive for previous hantavirus infection, compared to only 3.3% of the general population! This suggests that the infection is more common than we might have thought, but may not always cause severe symptoms.
The first known hantavirus outbreak in the States from pet rats occurred in December 2016. Of the 17 people infected, 8 became ill, 3 were hospitalized and recovered.
Rats themselves don’t show any symptoms of hantavirus, which is why it’s important to ask your breeder if they test them for it.
Salmonella
Salmonella is sometimes found in rat feces, and can infect humans if ingested. Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting, and head or muscle aches.
Salmonella usually shows up within a few hours to days of ingestion. It is contagious from rats to humans, and from one human to another. This should go without saying, but avoid eating rat poop as much as possible!
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)
LCMV is considered a rare virus. The CDC estimates that 5% of house mice may carry the virus, and this is the most common way of catching it. With that said, other rodents are also capable of carrying the virus and people have reported infections from pet rats.
LCMV initially causes flu-like symptoms. Most people recover after about a week, but in rare cases, they may become ill again with more serious symptoms like meningitis, drowsiness, confusion, paralysis and weakness. In spite of the scary symptoms, LCMV is rarely fatal and most people do recover from it.
Is respiratory illness in rats contagious?
The respiratory illness that is commonly carried by pet rats (caused by the bacteria mycoplasma pulmonis) is not dangerous to humans. While scientists have found the bacteria in humans before, it doesn’t seem to cause any illness. Rats also don’t share the same cold or flu viruses that humans do.
Safety tips for living with pet rats
- Be aware of the symptoms of infection that pet rats can pass to humans.
- Obtain your rats from a breeder. Many breeders regularly test their rats for disease, both for their own safety and the safety of their customers. Ask to see their most recent reports to make sure you’re bringing home a healthy animal.
- Take any new rats for a check-up with your vet.
- Wash your hands and arms with soap and water after handling your pets, their bedding and toys.
- Litter train your rats to minimize the amount of waste found outside of their litter boxes.
- Try to avoid letting your rat touch your face with its paws, hands or nose.
- Avoid touching your own face while handling pet rats.
- Use a non-dusty bedding. When cleaning, wet the bedding down and spray a disinfectant on it before sliding it into a garbage bag to avoid stirring up particles. If you like, you could also wear a face covering while cleaning their cage.
- Wear rubber gloves any time you touch their feces or soiled bedding.
- If your rat ever bites you, clean and disinfect the wound right away. Be aware of the symptoms of rat bite fever, which can show up days later.
Conclusion
Like any domestic animal, pet rats have the potential to carry disease that can make humans sick. While the likelihood of contracting an illness from pet rats is low, it’s essential to be aware of the potential risks and take necessary precautions.
Practicing good hygiene, like washing your hands and arms after handling rats, using a dust-free bedding, and preventing contact with your face, can minimize the risk of disease transmission.
See a doctor any time you feel ill, and make sure to mention that you have pet rats at home.
By being aware of potential diseases, and knowing the symptoms ahead of time, you can enjoy the companionship of rats while keeping yourself safe.
