A Northland woman is warning people about rat bite fever, which saw her hospitalised
A Northland woman is warning people about rat bite fever, which saw her hospitalised
With winter just around the corner and householders setting traps to keep pests at bay, a Northland woman is warning people about a little-known serious illness that saw her hospitalised - rat bite fever.
The woman in her 70s, who did not want to be named, said she had been trapping rats for more than 30 years and had not even heard of rat bite fever (RBF) before she contracted it five years ago.
Rats normally died in the traps she used and she usually wore gloves to dispose of them.
However, she became ill after she grabbed at a live rat trying to escape the trap.
The woman said she only fleetingly touched it with her bare thumb before dispatching it. She washed her hands immediately after then applied antiseptic cream.
“The first thing he said is ‘you’ve got rat bite fever’! I just laughed but he said, ‘Seriously, you have to have an intense course of penicillin‘.”
The illness was too advanced for the tablets prescribed. The next day the woman ended up in the hospital emergency department, suffering blood poisoning (systemic sepsis) for which she needed intravenous antibiotics.
The woman said she was shocked by how swiftly the infection had developed into something deadly. Fortunately, the intravenous antibiotics worked quickly.
She had since told many people about her brush with RBF, including those who do a lot of trapping, but none had ever heard of it.
Health authorities say the disease is still rare in New Zealand.
Backyard trappers who handle rats without gloves risk contracting the serious illness rat-bite fever. Photo / Laurilee McMichael
According to online sources, it can be caused by two organisms - streptobacillus moniliformis and spirillum minus, each of which can be found in rats’ mouths.
RBF can spread to people through scratches, bites, or contact with a rodent’s saliva or urine.
It can also spread by having contact with contaminated materials (rat bedding, cages, etc.), kissing pet rats, or eating or drinking contaminated food or drinks.
People with pet rodents or who handle rodents as feed for snakes/reptiles can be at increased risk for RBF. Others at risk include people who work at pet stores or laboratories.
Some animals like dogs, cats, ferrets, and rabbits can contract RBF through contact with infected rodents and then pass it to people. However, RBF cannot spread between people.
In 2007, the New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ) reported on a case a few years earlier in which a 19-year-old man contracted the country’s first known confirmed incidence of “streptobacillary’ RBF and only the third reported case of RBF infection since a suspected one in 1919.
The teen had been bitten between two of his fingers by his pet rat. He too developed systemic sepsis and needed to be hospitalised for intravenous antibiotics.
Meanwhile, Phil Tunstall - the owner of Whangārei pest management business Enviropro - said professional pest control workers received regular training about RBF and other rodent diseases.
Tunstall said anyone dealing with rats should maintain a good separation from them, the easiest way being to wear thick gloves. Hand washing afterwards was also important.
In New Zealand, rats and mice carry several viral and bacterial illnesses, including LCM (lymphocytic choriomeningitis), salmonellosis, mycoplasma, leptospirosis, and dysentery. They also carry parasites such as fleas and ticks.
Sarah Curtis is a general news reporter for the Northern Advocate. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially those involving environmental issues.
