The CDC Links Pet Rats In Illinois and Wisconsin To Seoul Virus Outbreak

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says a virus which is not common in the U.S. recently infected eight people in Illinois and Wisconsin. They confirmed on Friday that pet rats are the source of an outbreak of Seoul virus infections and has also confirmed it in eight patients in an ongoing investigation. The infected persons work in facilities where pet rats are bred.

"There was an outbreak reported in Europe previously associated with pet rats, so it is not the first time this has been associated with pets worldwide," a veterinarian and deputy division director for CDC's division of high consequent pathogens and pathology, Dr. Jennifer McQuiston said.

The agencies first became aware of the infections following the illness of two people in Wisconsin who ran a home-based rat-breeding facility in December 2016. One of the patients in the current outbreak visited a hospital with flu-like symptoms, says Stephanie Smiley, director of the bureau of communicable disease with Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The doctor had a hunch to test for Hantavirus giving the patient's exposure to rodents. Following a positive test result in late December, Wisconsin health officials sent a sample from the patient to the CDC as well as a separate sample from the second patient. The CDC confirmed infections with Seoul virus in both patients, on January 11.

The CDC says the virus is a part of the Hantavirus family - a group of viruses that typically infect rodents. Though related, Seoul virus is different from Hantavirus and it is not typically common in the US.

The recent cases are the first reported human cases in the United States associated with pet rats, as several previous outbreaks occurred mainly in wild rats. The Seoul virus is accompanied by virus such as chills, fever, pink eye-type eye infection, nausea, abdominal pain, and even though it rarely occurs, an infection can lead to Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which includes fever, severe aches, fatigue and may turn critical.

Symptoms usually manifest between one to two weeks after exposure to the infection, but can sometimes take as long as eight weeks to manifest. The Wisconsin patients have recovered, according to the CNN. The discovery of their infection led to an investigation into several rat suppliers, which revealed an additional six cases of Seoul virus among workers at two Illinois breeding facilities. The cases were confirmed by the CDC on January 18.

Five of the Six people who tested positive showed no symptoms of the virus, which cannot be transmitted from one person to another, "therefore, the general public is at extremely low risk," from these cases, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Dr. Nirav Shah said.  The one patient who became sick has also recovered.

Infected rats do not appear sick and the virus can be contracted when bitten by infected rats or through contact with infectious fluids like blood, saliva and urine, according to Live Science. The Seoul virus is carried by wild Norway rats also known as the brown rat, which first arrive America during the late 1700s and then began to dominate urban centers across the country. Most infections in humans have been reported in Asia.

The state's health department is currently working with both the CDC and the Wisconsin Department of Public Health to try to identify the origin of the rats, clients and people who may have been exposed to the virus, but the total numbers are not known.

People who recently purchased rats in the affected areas and experiences Seoul virus symptoms should contact their healthcare provider immediately. Those who have purchased or come in contact with rats from the affected breeders should contact their local or state health departments.

To prevent diseases or infections carried by rats, people are advised to wash their hands with soap and water after touching, feeding, or cleaning their rat cages. They should also be rats are properly secured in a cage due to their tendency to spread disease causing germs.

It is better to If clean cages and pet supplies outside the house, and never in the kitchen or bathroom. Breeders should avoid bites and scratches from rodents and Take them to a veterinarian for routine care to keep the animal healthy and disease-free. They should also wear gloves to avoid contact with droppings or urine.