# Mice & Rabbits - Disease



## Bribble (Aug 11, 2018)

I was wondering if mice could somehow transmit disease to my rabbits just by being in the same room? They're some kind of wild mouse but I hand raised them from babies. Obviously risk of disease is still there. 

They're in the garage for now, but would it be too dangerous to keep them in a cage in my room? I think I'd put them on top of my desk (about 2-3 ft below the ceiling height). Thoughts?


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## Popsicles (Aug 11, 2018)

Forgetting the rabbit, wild mice can transmit diseases to humans, so I would be most worried about you. There are also diseases they could potentially pass onto rabbits, but less likely if you practice good biosecurity and hygiene, e.g. use separate cleaning equipment for mine and rabbits, always wash hands after touching mice and before touching rabbits etc. I personally wouldn’t bring wild rodents into my home as they can carry lots of diseases that don’t show symptoms in the host but can be lethal to humans and other animals, such as hantavirus and leptospirosis.


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## Popsicles (Aug 11, 2018)

Also hantavirus is spread by sharing airspace with infected rodents, so you will be at risk just by having them in your room.


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## Bribble (Aug 11, 2018)

One thing i can say is I've been surprisingly diligent with hygiene with those guys. I've even been so careful as to thoroughly wash my hands before even touching the bedding when replacing it. 

Ah yes ive heard of Hantavirus .Did not know it could be contracted through the air. Is there anyway i can get them tested for it? I can't exactly release them to the wild at this point being human raised.


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## Popsicles (Aug 12, 2018)

Yeah keep up with the hygiene, definitely sounds good. And I would advise even using a face mask when cleaning them out, if possible. 
I did a whole project on hanta this year so super aware of it now haha. Nope only way to test is a post Mortem, they won’t show any signs while alive.
I understand you can’t release them now, if I were you I would continue to care for them in the garage, and keep up with the really good hygiene.


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## Preitler (Aug 12, 2018)

Hanta - is that really a health problem in your area? That sounds somewhat paranoid to me.
Here it's rats that might cause problems if left unchecked, nothing serious nowadays, something different in 3rd world countries and in history.

Where there are rabbits, or any lifestock, outside, there always are mice. There's always some food to pilfer, and no matter if you notice it or not, mice are there. With not any problem I've heard of. Other than rabbits wont eat soiled hay. I'm so happy about the snakes in my barn, but they wouldn't be there if there weren't mice.
So I woudn't worry much about second generation mice in a different cage that are not soiling the rabbits or your food. Maybe one thing to read up about would be mites.

Apart from that, I had some "wild" mice indoors, House Mouse, Mus Musculus - awful, they do stink to heaven, I can tell if there are any when I enter a barn, garage or stable, very distinctive smell. 
Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, much better in that regard, also field mouse, Microtus arvalis.

It may be different in other climates, where everything drops dead when encountering another spieces, but here that's pretty much a nonissue. If you really would need to wear facemasks and follow biohazard protocols to stay safe I would pile up a pyre and get rid of it.

Anyway, there sure are good forums about mice out there, where you can find solid advice.


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## Popsicles (Aug 12, 2018)

Hantavirus is something to be paranoid about, it can be fatal and it’s avoidable so why take the risk? Yes if you have wild rats and mice that are in and out, your risk is low, but if you move them into your room.. I personally wouldn’t risk it but that’s just me. And the reason to wear a face mask would be because when you clean out and disturb the dust and bedding, that’s the highest risk material to breathe in. Of course not everyone catches hantavirus, but is it worth taking that risk? I don’t think so. 
I agree that wild rats and mice are always around livestock with no issue, but if your rabbits are kept solely indoors and not exposed to the same things as outdoor rabbits, bringing a wild animal in is a biological pressure that they aren’t necessarily prepared for. Washing hands in between handling both is just sensible precaution. 
Yes, biosecurity certainly feels over the top until you or your pets become ill.


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## Preitler (Aug 12, 2018)

Well, I just read up a little on Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthohantavirus

Well, only some of these viruses are human pathogen, and those are carried by rather rare spieces (here), not all mice or rodents.
728 cases in 20 years in the whole US,for me not something to be paranoid about, being run over by a truck is much more likely.

Millions of mice and rodents are kept as pets, without any problem.

Well, it sure doesn't hurt to know about it, but imho it doesn't apply to the topic here - if the mice are not of one of the few, not popular spieces - which actually could be - that might carry the nasty stuff.


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## Popsicles (Aug 12, 2018)

I think we can agree Wikipedia isn’t the most reliable scientific source  
It can be carried by mice as well as rats, voles etc. It’s the same in the UK that cases are few and far between, but there are certain hazards that make the risk higher, such as longterm contact with wild rodents especially indoors with poor ventilation. It is also under reported due to symptoms being confused with other similar diseases. Shouldn’t be an issue, but worth being aware of so you can take the proper precautions.


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