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Seoul virus is a type of hantavirus carried primarily by **Norway rats
(Rattus norvegicus)**. It has been found in **both pet rats and wild rat
populations** around the world, including in the United States.
Infected rats shed the virus in their urine, faeces and saliva, and become
infected themselves while **commingling, fighting or mating with infected
rats, or through contaminated materials such as bedding.**
Why you cannot tell
**Rats do not show any clinical signs when infected and can shed the virus
chronically for several months.**
A healthy-looking pet rat may be shedding Seoul virus continuously for months.
There is no symptom to watch for, no change in behaviour, and no way to
identify an infected animal by examination — which is why **veterinary staff
should take precautions when handling rats that might have Seoul virus**, not
only rats that appear ill.
Why the recommendation is euthanasia
People can become infected when exposed to rats carrying Seoul virus, and
infected rats can pass it to other rats as well as to people. **The CDC
recommends euthanising infected rats**, following AVMA-approved guidelines.
That is a hard recommendation for a family pet, and it follows from the two
facts above: the animal is infectious, indefinitely, with no way to know from
looking — and it will infect other rats in any colony it joins.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lizenz: CC0 1.0 (gemeinfrei) · Bearbeitet nach www.cdc.gov
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