I often get emails from people telling me that they have caught wild mice (or wild rats) and now want to know how to best care for them and tame them. My answer to this is that since over 90 % of the population of wild mice and wild rats carry the 2 different biologic agents that induce "Rat-bite Fever" in humans.
Rat-bite fever may put you in hospital for days, and if you are unlucky you might get recurrent symptoms for years. Never ever touch wild rats or wild mice!
Tame rats and mice don't have these infections so they can't spread them to you. I'd make certain my tame rats and mice never met any wild rats or wild mice in case these infections may spread from animal to animal (I think they may).
The biological agents that cause Rat-bite Fever (and also Haverhill Fever) is mainly Streptobacillus monoliformes. The wild rat or wild mouse that carry this agent mainly has it in the throat, and the animal show no signs of illness at all. When a human gets bitten the agent is transferred ans the person shows symptoms as blotchy rashes, septic fever and later polyarthritis.
Spirillum minor (sometimes called Spirillum morsus muris) and also other species of Spirillum causes another form of Rat-bite Fever called Sodoku. Symptoms in rats and mice are none. Symptoms in humans are rashes and relapsing fever.
These infections are common all over the world in WILD rats and WILD mice.
Copyright Eva Johansson.
Last update: 11th of August 2006.