Mycoplasma in rats can be transferred to humans?Did you know:
You need to put the rat on the highest-quality lowered caloric, lowered protein diet you can find. One that meets or exceed the nutritional requirements of rats as determined by the U.S. National Research Council (N.R.C.). Some good ones are a 16% protein block distributed by Teclad Harlan Sprague Dawley, Mazuri 5663 or ZuPreem Rodent Maintenance diet. Most quality brands meet
N.R.C. guidelines on rat nutrition. However, their protein content, 23.5%, and caloric content is a bit too high for maximum longevity and their fiber content (3.8%) is too low. You can get around this by mixing it 50-50 with an
equine range pellet, like Mazuri 5661 with 13% protein and 2.9% fat and 13.2% fiber. This will give you an 18% protein diet. With this mixture, the rats will attain their top body weight later in life, become reproductively active later in life, and, on the whole, live longer lives*. They are also less likely to suffer from kidney disease later in life. To this diet, I would add an additional 10 -12 units (iu) of vitamin E as well as a portion of the contents of a mixed anti-oxidant, anti-aging microcapsule, such as those produced by Landco Corp and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which stimulate the immune system that mycoplasm suppresses. Vitamin A deficiencies is known to speed the progress of mycoplasmosis in rats. However, too much vitamin A is also toxic and the diet I suggested has plenty
of vitamin A.
3) The temperatures of your rat's home should be kept between 65°F and 80°F. Temperatures should be kept as constant as possible - rats don't do well when their temperature varies up and down a lot. Humidity should be between 30-70%. Twelve hours of light and twelve of darkness is a good ration but some rats breed better with 14 hours of light and 10 of darkness.
4) Good air quality is the most important thing you can provide for your rat to minimize the lung damage Mycoplasma causes. It is this lung damage that ultimately causes the rat's decline. First, they need to be kept in a dust and mold-free room, preferably with central heat and air-conditioning and at least four air changes an hour. We used 14 air changes per hour at N.I.H. The bedding material you use is extremely important. I like hard wood chips, next best is dust-free pine shavings. Worst are corncobs, cedar shavings and bentonite clays (cat litter products). Shredded ordinary newspaper with black soya ink is probably also OK – I have never used it. What you want to avoid is dust, mold, bacterial spores, airborne mineral products and atmospheric pollutants. These are all known to produce lung lesions in all animals. Of course, no wild rodents should have access to your rat's room, food or utensils.
Would love opinions here. Not sure I'm keeping my rat if there is a chance of this.
The Rat Club recently informed me that they believe pine shavings to be toxic to rats. It is true that some species of pine contain aromatic organic compounds that God put there to control insect and mold damage to the pine trees. In the US, shavings derived from "Yellow Pine" contain allot of these resins. However, shaving that are the byproduct of what the wood industry calls "White Pine" now predominate in the wood industry. You can tell the difference by simply sniffing the shavings. If they smell any way like Pine-Sol, don't buy them. If you are in doubt, buy some other type of bedding.
Posted by Boo
No, you cannot get Myco from your rats. Rats are affected by Murine Respiratory Mycoplasmosis. The kind that causes walking pneumonia and arthritis problems in people is a different strain entirely that humans cannot pass to rats and rats cannot pass to humans. In fact, if you'll scroll up in the same article you've quoted here it says:
"Mycoplasmas are bacteria that do not have a cell wall and have the smallest number of genes necessary for any free-living thing. There are lots of kinds of Mycoplasma. They affect all kinds of animals and even plants and some of the "flu"s we get are actually due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Physicians call this "Walking Pneumonia" and it is also linked to arthritis and neurological disorders. But don't be frightened, this is an entirely different Mycoplasma."
While wild rats are carriers and transmitters of some pretty icky illnesses, much like feral cats or dogs as far as that goes---domesticated rats are entirely different. .Since rats don't get out of the house and explore the neighborhood, they don't have contact with the kind of nasties that even your cat or dog can bring home (salmonella etc) from their daily rambles. What people can and to often get from their rats is simple ringworm which is easily treated. But even then, the rat has to have been exposed to it first, usually from a dirty pet store or some similar situation.
Regarding the Myco, you should know that cats are a different matter entirely and the human strain can be picked up from your pet /cat/. But people don't seem to get quite as upset knowing it comes from kitty.
I'm not sure if the last part of your question is actually a question, a comment, or a cut and paste from an article, but just for helpfulness, the safest kind of shaving to use are the ones labeled Aspen shavings. Regular pine (yellow) or cedar are very toxic to retty lungs.
Posted by keator fujihara
Well It may help. http://www.amazon.com/Weil-Nutritional-Antioxidant-Vegi-Caps-60-Count/dp/B000JRL6AM%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAISJDSS4FGFKOAYFQ%26tag%3Dyan006-20%26linkCode%3Dsp1%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000JRL6AM
Orignal From: Mycoplasma in rats can be transferred to humans?
No comments:
Post a Comment