# Resp Illness - Mice to Rats, and Rats to Mice?



## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

Just wanting to know. My mouse stocks are dwindling slowly from the dreaded Respiritory infection. At the moment, they seem quite happy if a bit sneezy.

What I want to know is... Can this illness be passed on to rats? I wanted a pair when I got my mice, and recently its become a possibility.. But I don't want to get them if they're just going to pick up this illness and be sick. I'm doing some research into it now, but mostly its confusing me and contradicting itself, and I know some people on here have rats.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Halycon is a good sensible person to ask about rats.I have both and have never had any health issues with the rats.There has been a very nasty virus doing the rounds in rats so you need to be careful with your initial purchase.


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## x.Laura.x (May 26, 2009)

I have rats that both have that awful respirory infection and only one of my rats had it to start off with and now the other has it but ive had rats for years and nearly all of them have ended up with the infection as they got older  My mice dont have it but i keep my mice and the ratties in the same room and im very carefull with handling them and make sure i disinfect everything/wash my hands after handling the rats etc and so far all the mice are ok but can they pick the infection up through the air then?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I suppose there must be many different respiratory illnesses with different causes.The illness I have had with mice seems to be within them rather than caught and its just a case of weeding out the ones that exhibit symptoms.I haven't had any of the sort that spreads from mouse to mouse and I haven't had any at all in rats.Where as some people have had very contageous varieties that haven't responded to antibiotics indicating a virus.Its been with the mouse fancy for more than 100 years with no satisfactory permanent treatment.I think its part and parcel of geriatric rodents.


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## Jammy (Jul 14, 2009)

I shall ask your question on the NFRS forum 

Also i do know some very good rat breeders near you which may be worth thinking about.


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## Jammy (Jul 14, 2009)

NFRS President replied saying

''Its Myco. Both rats and mice are infected after birth. I have always found it to be worse in mice though. Mice and rats can also get and transmit Sendai virus to each other. Sendai is much worse in mice as well. There are some others, like Pneumonia virus of mice, that rats can get as well.''

I shall ask if you should go ahead with getting rats or if that is unadvisable for now ?!!


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## Jammy (Jul 14, 2009)

Reply was

''Shouldn't be a problem''


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

Thanks a lot . That's was muchly helpful.


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