# I have a cold and bronchitis. Could my meese catch either?



## Lizzle (Apr 7, 2010)

I was under the impression that mice could not catch a viral cold from humans, but I don't know about bronchitis. As of today I am pretty sick and doing my best to avoid interaction with my meese when I feed them and check their water (I sanitize my hands, put on gloves, and put on a new disposable surgical mask with each cage - I probably look ridiculous). Am I taking any unnecessary precautions?


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

From the Wikipedia page on bronchitis:

"Acute bronchitis often occurs during the course of an acute viral illness such as the common cold or influenza. Viruses cause about 90% of cases of acute bronchitis, whereas bacteria account for less than 10%."

That said, the causes listed include: rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, influenza, bacteria, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and Bordetella pertussis.

So, all that said, I'd say you're being very careful, and that's probably for the best. You probably don't need to re-sanitize, change gloves, and change masks between cages, unless you're concerned that one of them is infected with something. Having sanitized hands, gloves, and a mask sounds good, though.


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