[dreamtree1234]

It is truly devastatingly tragic to have anyone die from any cause. I agree that getting the Rat Bite Fever is highly rare. So long as a pet owner uses the appropriate hygiene, has no other underlying health issues, and takes the right precautions, the risk of contracting this (let alone dying from it) is very rare indeed. I always suggest that if anyone has any concerns, they should take their pet to the vet for a thorough examination in order to be sure that they have a healthy pet while it is still under the shop's vet warranty. The state where I live, everyone purchasing/rescuing any type of pet from pet stores must sign a waiver of release. I think that the news reported this heart-wrenching incident because they just wanted to let the public be aware that this could potentially happen so pet owners will act accordingly when caring for any pet in order to help prevent it from happening in the future.

This is transmitted by rodents including but not limited to rats, mice, weasels, gerbils, squirrels, hamsters, etc. In addition, if household dogs or cats are exposed to an infected rodent, they can also transmit this disease to humans. The internet states, "Some cases are diagnosed after patients were exposed to the urine or bodily secretions of an infected animal. These secretions can come from the mouth, nose, or eyes of the rodent. The majority of cases are due to the animal's bite. It can also be transmitted through food or water contaminated with rat feces or urine. . . . If a person is bitten by a rodent, it is important to quickly wash and cleanse the wound area thoroughly with antiseptic solution to reduce the risk of infection." I hope that this helps answer your question.