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Old 06-27-2017, 03:13 PM   #1
kitty629
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Default Rat scratch fever

There was a story on the news a little while ago here in the US about a little boy dying from rat scratch fever. I had never heard of such a thing. Apparently his grandmother bought the pet rat for him from a pet store and signed a waiver. Is this something only to do with rats or all rodents?
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Old 06-27-2017, 03:20 PM   #2
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Default Re: Rat scratch fever

It was rat bite fever,and honestly it's not even anywhere near common.It's hardly even a considerable issue,and more or less yet another excuse people often throw out as to why rodents are somehow bad
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Old 06-27-2017, 04:53 PM   #3
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Default Re: Rat scratch fever

Rat bite fever can be carried and transmitted by hamsters and most rodents, but this is a rare occurrence. You honestly (statistically speaking) have more of a chance of getting struck by lightning on the drive to get your hamster than you are to actually get rat bite fever! Of course, proper hygiene is crucial with all new animals- including cats and dogs, which are more likely to spread disease to you than a hamster. The reason the story was so big was because the child died. There's more to that story than was shared, no disrespect to this child nor his family- as losing your child is a horrific tragedy. However, what they fail to mention is that there are in fact many symptoms that will occur, and a child who is healthy, could fight off RBF no problem. Big stories come out because they're rare. The flu kills more people yearly than rat bite fever, but nobody reports that because it's common, and nobody sues anyone. It's really not a worry if you're healthy, hygienic, and have common sense
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Old 06-27-2017, 05:15 PM   #4
kitty629
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Default Re: Rat scratch fever

Oh believe me I am not saying rodents are bad in any way. I own six at the moment. The part that confuses me is the grandmother supposedly signed a waiver or disclosure of the possibility and I never saw such a thing when I purchased a rodent.
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Old 06-27-2017, 06:03 PM   #5
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Default Re: Rat scratch fever

Where did you get your rodents from? I know that every chain store in my state requires a waiver of release to be signed- I still have all of mine from my rescues. I know in the United States, petco and petsmart require it
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Old 06-27-2017, 06:36 PM   #6
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Default Re: Rat scratch fever

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.
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Last edited by dreamtree1234; 06-27-2017 at 06:49 PM.
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Old 06-27-2017, 07:04 PM   #7
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Default Re: Rat scratch fever

Besides just bites and bodily secretions, I'd also like to add that RBF can be caught from food and water. So to say it's exclusive to rodents is completely false, and just another way that society spreads misinformation regarding rodents. I wrote a thesis on RBF so it really interests me
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