Quarantine means to separate and isolate to prevent the spread of disease (such as bacterial infections, viruses, parasites, etc.) Proper quarantine is obtained by keeping new rats in a separate airspace from your resident mischief for a minimum of two weeks (ideally 4+ weeks)
* Not all diseases will present themselves immediately after arriving home. * It’s best to work from “clean to dirty” meaning cleaning/playing with your existing mischief first, sanitizing and then proceeding onto your new additions. * Some diseases will affect only the resident rats (especially if the new rats are asymptomatic.) * Even if the rattery or rescue you brought rats in from properly quarantines, you should still quarantine at home as our environment has pathogens you can pick up and introduce into your mischief. * Two weeks is not long enough to alert to diseases such as CAR bacillus, parvovirus, etc. * Quarantine for external parasites should be a minimum of three weeks after the last treatment (if parasites are discovered.) * Veterinary help should be sought immediately if any issues arise during quarantine. * Quarantine should restart if medication has been administered after the rat(s) have recovered.
CAR bacillus (CARB) - SPECIFIC TO RODENTS AND SOME LIVESTOCK. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH DIRECT CONTACT AND CAN LEAD TO RESPIRATORY ILLNESS IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED RATS. CAN BE ASYMPTOMATIC IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT RATS.
ENCEPHALITOZOON CUNICULI (ECUN) - ZOONOTIC. CAN CAUSE SYMPTOMS WITH SEVERE IMMUNODEFICIENCY AND OFTEN LEADS TO SEVERE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS AND EVEN DEATH IN RATS. IT IS ASYMPOTMATIC IN IMMUNOCOMPITENT RATS.
LYMPHOCYTIC CHORIOMENINGITIS (LCMV) - ZOONOTIC. POTENTIALLY DEADLY TO IMMUNOCOMPROMISED HUMANS AND IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH CONTACT WITH UNRINE AND RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS. IT IS ASYMPTOMATIC IN RATS.
Mycoplasma Pulmonis (MPUL) - SPECIFIC TO RODENTS. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH AIRBOURNE PARTICLES AND DIRECT CONTACT. CAN CAUSE VARIOUS RESPIRATORY AND FERTILITY ISSUES IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED RATS. CAN BE ASYMPTOMATIC IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT RATS. (ALL RATS HAVE MYCOPLASMA PULMONIS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME LAB RAT STRAINS AND RATS BORNE VIA CESARIAN SECTION.)
P.CARINII (PCAR) - SPECIES SPECIFIC. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH AIRBOURNE PARTICLES AND DIRECT CONACT WITH THE ANIMAL/INFECTED MATERIALS AND CAN LEAD TO RESPIRATORY ILLNESS IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED RATS. CAN BE ASYMPTOMATIC IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT RATS.
PNUEMONIA VIRUS OF MICE (PVM) - SPECIFIC TO RODENTS. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH AIRBOURNE PARTICLES AND RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS. IT IS ASYMPTOMATIC IN RATS. CAN BE BURNED OUT WITH AN 8 WEEK QUARANTINE.
RAT PARVOVIRUSES (KRV, H-1, RPV, RMV, NS-1) - SPECIES SPECIFIC. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH CONTACT WITH FECES, URINE AND RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS. KIRILLIAN RAT VIRUS (KRV) CAN CAUES RESPIRATORY ILLNESS AND FERTILITY ISSUES IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED RATS. GENERALLY ASYMPTOMATIC IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT RATS.
RAT POLYOMAVIRUS-2 (RPYV2) - SPECIES SPECIFIC. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS AND IS ASYMPTOMATIC IN RATS.
RAT ROTAVIRUS (IDIR) - SPECIES SPECIFIC. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ANIMAL/INFECTED MATERIALS AND MAY RESULT IN POOR GROWTH, DIARRHEA, AND PERIANAL DERMATITIS IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED NURSING RATS. CAN BE BURNT OUT WITH AN 8 WEEK QUARANTINE.
REO VIRUS (REO) - SPECIFIC TO RODENTS. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH AIRBOURNE PARTICLES, DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ANIMAL/INFECTED MATERIALS, URINE, FECES AND RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS. IT IS ASYMPTOMATIC IN RATS.
Sendai (SEND) - ZOONOTIC. CAN CAUSE MINOR RESPIRATORY SYMTPOMS IN HUMANS AND IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH CONTACT WITH RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS. IT IS ASYMPTOMATIC IN RATS.
Seoul Virus (HANT) - ZOONOTIC. CAN CAUSE SEVERE HEALTH CONCERNS IN HUMANS AND IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH CONTACT WITH FECES, URINE AND RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS. IT IS ASYMPTOMATIC IN RATS.
SIALODACRYODENTITIS VIRUS (SDAV) - SPECIES SPECIFIC. IT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH CONTACT WITH AIRBOURNE PARTICLES AND RESPIRATORY SECRETIONS. IT OFTEN LEADS TO SEVERE RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES AND EVEN DEATH IN RATS. CAN BE CARRIED ASYPTOMATICALLY. CAN BE BURNED OUT WITH A 6 WEEK QUARANTINE.
THEILIOVIRUS (RTV) - SPECIFIC TO RODENTS AND IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH INGESTING FECES AND URINE. APPEARS TO BE ASYMPTOMATIC IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT RATS. RTV IS NEWLY DISCOVERED AND STILL BEING RESEARCHED.