Guidance

Pet rats, mice, hamsters: reducing the risk of infection

Information for GPs to provide to patients about reducing the risk of human infection from pet rodents.

• From: UK Health Security Agency
• Published: 20 February 2013
• Last updated: 9 November 2023 — See all updates

Documents

Reducing the risk of human infection from pet rodents

Ref: GOV-15251

HTML

Reducing the risk of human infection from pet rodents (print version)

Ref: GOV-15251

PDF, 480 KB, 2 pages

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Details

This guidance covers:

• what infections rodents carry
• what to do if you’re bitten
• the infections pet rodents carry
• which infections can be passed to humans
• preventing infection by washing hands after handling and cleaning their homes

A previous version of this guidance was published by Public Health England (PHE).

Published 20 February 2013
Last updated 9 November 2023 + show all updates

1. 9 November 2023

   Updated guidance.

2. 20 February 2013

   First published.