Can you get a disease if you get bit by an rat?

Answer 1

Answer

No as long as they don't bite or scratch you. Rats actually groom themselves very well, but, they can carry diseases depending on where they hang out. It's not wise to keep one as a pet, but, if you so choose take it to your vets to be checked over by a vet. Rats have been known to carry rabies. Remember, any wild creature can attack if provoked.

Marcy

Actually there are some extremely nasty and sometimes lethal diseases you can catch from rats. I know 3 people who have caught leptosperosis. One died, one suffered kidney damage and the other recovered after a few weeks in hospital. Symptoms range from flu like to death. You don't catch it from rat bites or scratches which was Marcy's worry (see above) but from urine. You could catch this from inhaling dried urine or eating food contaminated from urine or from an open wound as small as a scratch coming into contact with urine. Other diseases carried by wild rats and possibly transmitted to humans are : salmonella (my brother caught this and was quarantined in our house for 8 months with endless diarrhea and lost half his body weight and developed an arthritic illness as a result) He thought wild rats would make nice pets ! He was wrong. You can also get rat- bite fever and a type of meningitis or typhus Bubonic Plague anyone ? Believe it or not in some countries you can still catch this disease from fleas on rats !

Casidhe

Answer 2

Yes you can. Many mice (and other animals as well) carry diseases that are shed in urine and feces, like Hanta virus. Not all mice carry Hanta virus, but deer mice and their relatives do. Also, fleas that live on mice can carry a variety of diseases that can affect humans.

Answer 3

I have never tried this before but I'm guessing it isn't a good idea. Domestic mice and rats are AMAZING pets (I have had mice and my friend has rats), but wild ones might have diseases like rabies. I don't know what you would be doing with the rodent after you catch it (kill it, keep it, etc.) but either way it isn't a good idea. Hope this helped!

Answer 4

leptoispirosis - you get this from rat feces. once it enters an open would it will enter your system and infect you. other cases can be from digestion of those said feces.

Answer 5

Rat could infect you with rabies and allways medical help should be seeked inmediatly after a rat bite.

Answer 6

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