What diseases can a person get from being bitten by a pet hamster?
Can hamsters spread diseases to children?
Hamsters are a popular pet for children and nearly every child that has owned a hamster has probably been bitten. In some cases the bites are minor but other times the long teeth of the hamster go through the skin to the point where the hamster may even be dangling from the finger and blood is sure to pour out afterwards.
Concerned parents worry that their children could catch a disease, or even rabies, as the result of a hamster bite. If you are a hamster owner, or parent of a child that owns a hamster there are some things you need to know, including how to prevent bites in the first place.
Preventing Bites From Hamsters
Selecting a friendly hamster is key to preventing bites. Males tend to be less likely to bite than females. Some of the smaller hamster breeds are more apt to bite. Most importantly a hamster that is regularly handled is less likely to bite, those from pet stores were rarely handled prior to their arrival in the store and are more likely to bite as a result. A hamster from a home, or animal shelter, where it has been handled regularly will be less likely to bite than a pet store hamster. Care must be taken not to alarm a sleeping hamster as when startled they could bite.
Can Hamster Bites Spread Rabies?
Hamsters are very unlikely to spread
rabies; kept as indoor caged pets they would not have been exposed to the virus, which is spread by bites from other animals such as bats or skunks. As such the concerns in regards to getting rabies are almost zero.
What Diseases can you get from a Hamster Bite?
Tularemia is a bacterial infection often called rabbit plague. This condition is very rare and the risks of contracting it via a hamster bite should be considered very low.
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Fever is a viral infection that could be spread via the saliva of the hamster. This is more of a concern for people with compromised immunities, the elderly, pregnant women, and children under the age of three. Even then the concerns are quite low.
Hantavirus is a viral infection that can be spread as the result of a bite. Sweating is the first symptom, and it can be fatal. Chances of a hamster being infected are greater if it has been caged on the floor in the basement of a home infested with mice or rats, even still the concerns about this disease being spread from a hamster should be considered very low.
Overall the chances of getting any disease as the result of a hamster bite are
extremely low.