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Pet Hamster: Common Transmittable Diseases

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Hamsters are small, playful, and adorable animals that are often the first pets of many children. We usually keep them in cages. A pet hamster doesn’t have much contact with the outside. This does not exempt you from being able to spread certain diseases, I will tell you which are the most common.

But before we get there, let’s see how you can get it. The most common way is by biting, like other domestic animals, pet hamsters can bite if they are disturbed by eating, frightened, or are caught by someone they do not know. Pet hamsters are small animals but their jaw is quite strong so they can wound, always quite superficial due to their size. However, you have to be careful not to get infected.

Tularemia

This infection carries flu-like symptoms and sometimes diarrhea. It is not very common in a pet hamster but it usually has good treatment.

Hantavirus in a Pet Hamster

This condition is usually easy to spread but difficult for a pet hamster to suffer from. The symptoms are similar to the flu-like process. However, if complications arise, it could lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, which could be fatal.

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis

In this case, we can get the pet hamster’s saliva. Its symptoms include headaches and muscle aches, nausea, loss of appetite, fever, nervous system problems, and even paralysis. It should not have more complications except in risk groups such as the elderly, children, or pregnant women, which could be more dangerous.

Thirsty hamster
By meisterdragon

Apart from these, we must name rabies, a disease that many animals can infect. However, it is quite difficult for a pet hamster to carry it. In fact, there are no cases of this disease transmitted to a human being by these animals.

In short, yes, you can get diseases from a hamster but the chances are low, especially if they are domestic hamsters.

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