Northland woman warns of rare rat bite fever risk after trapping

NZ Herald

26-04-2025

'I never thought anything more about it because there was no wound, no tiny scratch, no little bit of blood or pain or anything,' she said.
About 10 days later, the woman felt a pea-sized bump in her thumb where she had touched the rat.
Two days later she began to feel 'incredibly feverish' so went to her doctor.
'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.
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.
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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.