Exposure to pet rats has led to an outbreak of Seoul virus in Illinois and Wisconsin:
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday that pet rats are the source of an outbreak of Seoul virus infections in Illinois and Wisconsin. The virus has been confirmed in eight patients in an ongoing investigation. The recent cases are "the first human cases we've seen in the United States associated with pet rats," said Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, a veterinarian and deputy division director for CDC's division of high consequent pathogens and pathology. Several previous outbreaks reported in the US occurred in wild rats.
Also at CBC. Illinois Department of Public Health statement.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a Seoul Virus FAQ.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 21 2017, @11:02PM
It is not necessary to have pets to live, and they may endanger society. There is no reason not to have laws against pet ownership (or at least large fees and fines to discourage it).
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday January 22 2017, @12:00AM
As somebody who has owned many rodents as pets, I must say that rats are the smartest and cleanest of them all -- when they get big they can take over entire cities, as in New York City -- . In fact, maybe I'll get another one sometime. They're not all wobbly and delicate-feeling like hamsters and Guinea Pigs and especially chinchillas and they have that wicked-cool textured tail.
But like many disease scares in America, like swine flu and bird flu, this one is also bullshit.