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Health & Fitness

Boy's death from rat bite leads family to sue Petco

In an incredibly sad story, a 10-year old boy died after being bitten by a rat purchased as a pet from Petco. The full article and video are here: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/child-dies-infected-rat-family-sues-petco-22671659  We deal with wild rodents on a daily basis as we care for our customers' homes, so we want to take a moment to answer some questions about rat-bite fever.

What is it?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are two forms of rat-bite fever (RBF): streptobacillus moniliformis and spirillum minus. In the United States, the most common form of the illness is caused by streptobacillus moniliformis. The latter is commonly found in Asia. RBF can come from a bite or scratch from an infected rodent. Handling a rodent or consuming food contaminated with bacteria could result in transmission of the disease. It is not spread between humans.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms and signs of streptobacillary RBF include fever, vomiting, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a rash. These usually occur 3 to 10 days after exposure to an infected rodent but can be delayed up to three weeks.

After the onset of fever, a red, bumpy rash may appear on the hands and feet. Joints can become swollen, red and painful.

How to treat?
Once diagnosed, RBF can be treated with antibiotics. Without treatment, however, the illlness can be fatal or cause infections involving the heart, brain or lungs.

PREVENTION
The best way to avoid contracting the illness is to avoid contact with ratsor rat-contaminated dwellings altogether. If contact can't be avoided, then wearing protective gloves and regular hand washing to avoid hand-to-mouth contamination can decrease one’s risk of exposure.

This last part about prevention is most relevant when one has rodents as pets - but Kirkland has an abundance of native rats that love our greenbelts, parks, abundant water sources, and mild winters. When wild rats or mice invade our homes, they usually make nests in our crawl spaces or attics. It's important to have these regularly inspected, and any areas of access sealed up. Cascade Pest cares for many homes in Kirland - let us take care of yours as well!

For more about Cascade Pest, visit www.cascadepest.com or visit our Google+ page:
https://plus.google.com/+DonLeland/" target="_blank">Don Leland





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