cirrustwi
Retired Moderator
I'm sorry to post an off topic, but I'm so angryand I though other animal lovers should know aboutthis.
I heard all of this from a very reliable person, who would like to remain anonymous.
A couple of months back there was a case where 3 people who had allreceived organ transplants where the organs all came from the same man,all died of complications. When their autopsies were done,they were all found to have a strain of meningitis which rodents cancarry. The meningitis was not the cause of death.The organ donor's tissue samples were tested and he also had thestrain. Through tracing back, they found that he hadrats. The family still had the rats, the rats were euthanizedand tested (completely unnecessary to euthanize for the test) andtested positive. The rats were traced to a pet store and to asupplier in Ohio who supplies to many pet stores on the eastcoast. The rats from the supplier were tested and some (wedon't know the percentage) tested positive. Therefore, allthose rats at the supplier were euthanized and most of the pet storeseuthanized all the rodents they have.
The W. PA Humane Society decided to euthanize all theirrodents. The rats there were rescued by a rat rescueassociation in Pittsburgh, but all the hamsters, gerbils and mice wereeuthanized. Furthermore, they have made a decision toeuthanize any rodent that is brought to them.
This whole thing is completely unnecessary. Of all pet rats,80% will test positive for this strain of meningitis, but only 20% ofthat 80% can pass it to humans and those humans must have some sort ofdebilitated immune system. At that, most people who own ratswill test positive for this strain of meningitis and have developedantibodies and cannot pass it on.
I'm so angry because this does not have to happen. If thesevets at the Humane Society would do a tiny bit of research, they wouldrealize this. The Rat Vet of the Year resides in Pittsburghand is hoping to change this problem. Please say some prayersand send some thoughts this way that this insanity will stop!
Jen
I heard all of this from a very reliable person, who would like to remain anonymous.
A couple of months back there was a case where 3 people who had allreceived organ transplants where the organs all came from the same man,all died of complications. When their autopsies were done,they were all found to have a strain of meningitis which rodents cancarry. The meningitis was not the cause of death.The organ donor's tissue samples were tested and he also had thestrain. Through tracing back, they found that he hadrats. The family still had the rats, the rats were euthanizedand tested (completely unnecessary to euthanize for the test) andtested positive. The rats were traced to a pet store and to asupplier in Ohio who supplies to many pet stores on the eastcoast. The rats from the supplier were tested and some (wedon't know the percentage) tested positive. Therefore, allthose rats at the supplier were euthanized and most of the pet storeseuthanized all the rodents they have.
The W. PA Humane Society decided to euthanize all theirrodents. The rats there were rescued by a rat rescueassociation in Pittsburgh, but all the hamsters, gerbils and mice wereeuthanized. Furthermore, they have made a decision toeuthanize any rodent that is brought to them.
This whole thing is completely unnecessary. Of all pet rats,80% will test positive for this strain of meningitis, but only 20% ofthat 80% can pass it to humans and those humans must have some sort ofdebilitated immune system. At that, most people who own ratswill test positive for this strain of meningitis and have developedantibodies and cannot pass it on.
I'm so angry because this does not have to happen. If thesevets at the Humane Society would do a tiny bit of research, they wouldrealize this. The Rat Vet of the Year resides in Pittsburghand is hoping to change this problem. Please say some prayersand send some thoughts this way that this insanity will stop!
Jen
