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Bacterial urinary infection in rats

Aug 06, 2009

Vladimir is a regular contributor to PetMD, the largest global source of pet health information. PetMD's content is created by veterinary professionals and covers 9 different species.

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leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a bacterial urinary infection in rats. Though more common in wild rats, it is highly contagious and quickly transmitted to any pet rat that comes in contact with urine from an infected animal. Leptospirosis can be transmitted to humans (zoonotic) or other animals. It is therefore recommended that a rat or rat colony infected with the disease be euthanized.

Symptoms

Both rats (and humans) with leptospirosis present flu-like symptoms. These include:

Upper respiratory tract infections
Nasal discharge
Cough
Sneezing
Weakness
Fever
Loss of appetite and weight
Increased thirst

Causes

This urinary infection is caused by theLeptospira spp. bacterium, and is transmitted by the urine of an infected animal; in this case, a rat.

Diagnosis

The veterinarian will diagnose leptospirosis by identifying theLeptospira spp. bacterium through blood and urine tests.

Treatment

Because of its highly contagious nature, most veterinarians do not recommend treating rats infected with leptospirosis. Instead, euthanasia is generally suggested.