
The CDC will continue to work with Health Departments in order to investigate this Seoul virus outbreak.
Everybody loves animals but some of them might be dangerous. Pet rats in the US have been linked to Seoul Virus outbreak. After a school was closed in Chicago, the CDC mentioned the cause of the problem: pet rats.
The CDC discovered there is a link between this virus and the rats. The Wisconsin and Illinois Department of Health Services worked with the CDC in order to find the cause of the Seoul virus outbreak.
They discovered that more than 8 people were infected. All of them were employees at rat-breeding facilities. This means that the only connection between them is the pet rats. The CDC mentioned that these pets might be the ones responsible for the outbreak.
This virus is very uncommon for the United States. This is actually the first outbreak caused by pet rats. This investigation started last month. This was because a rat breeder experienced a headache and fever. He was taken to the hospital.
After the man was tested it was confirmed that the virus was Seoul virus. One of his family members also worked with rats and it got infected. Both of them are recovered after they were hospitalized.
The CDC will continue to work with Health Departments in order to investigate this Seoul virus outbreak. The CDC will also investigate the rat breeder facilities to see how people can get infected by these animals.
Although it is rarely found in the US, in Asia there are a lot of cases of Seoul infections. The most common symptoms include abdominal pain, rash, blurred vision, severe headache, and fever. Despite the fact that it might sound like a terrible virus, the rate of recovery is actually very high. This is great news for people in the US how are concerned about this virus.
The CDC recommends people who have rat pets to wash their hands frequently and to clean the cages of their pets. It is also recommended to avoid and type of scratch or bite from their pets because they might get viruses. Let’s hope that nobody else gets infected with Seoul virus.
What is your opinion about the Seoul virus outbreak? Do you own a rat pet?
Image source: Wikipedia