How do I know if my hamster has lymphocytic choriomeningitis?

The early signs of LCMV infection in a hamster include loss of activity, loss of appetite, and rough coat. Later, the animal may show signs of weight loss, hunched posture, inflammation of the eye lids, and eventually death. This can take several weeks or months.

What is lymphocytic choriomeningitis in hamsters?

Page Content. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a viral infection of the brain or the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. It mostly affects young adults, though it is uncommon. It is caused by the lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus.

How is lymphocytic choriomeningitis treated?

No specific drug treatment is indicated in most cases of LCMV infection. Most patients improve spontaneously within 1-3 weeks with no sequelae. Ribavirin has in vitro activity against LCMV and has been used with success in transplant recipients with severe disease. Intravenous ribavirin is not commercially available.

How do hamsters get lymphocytic choriomeningitis?

Other types of rodents, such as hamsters, are not the natural reservoirs but can become infected with LCMV from wild mice at the breeder, in the pet store, or home environment.

Is hamster poop harmful to humans?

Hamsters can be wonderful pets, and overall, hamsters are relatively low-risk when it comes to diseases they can potentially transmit to humans. However, they can sometimes carry bacteria like Salmonella in their feces, and the virus that causes lymphocytic choriomeningitis, to name a couple.

Is LCMV curable?

Previous observations show that most patients who develop aseptic meningitis or encephalitis due to LCMV survive. No chronic infection has been described in humans, and after the acute phase of illness, the virus is cleared from the body.

Is Lcmv curable?

How long does LCMV virus live?

LCMV will retain its infectivity for at least 206 days if stored in 50% glycerine and 0.85% saline at 4-10°C 1.

Do all hamsters carry diseases?

Hamsters have been known to carry a virus called Lymphocytic choriomeningitis. In healthy adults, this virus causes flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, it can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to their unborn child and can produce severe illness in people with compromised immune systems.

Can you get sick from hamster poop?

Can humans LCMV?

Humans can acquire LCMV during any season, but most LCMV infections occur during the late autumn and early winter months, reflecting the seasonal movement of mice into human homes during the cold season2. The incidence of congenital LCMV infection is not known.

What are the chances of getting LCMV?

More than half of adults have had a CMV infection by the time they are 40 years old, and about 1 to 4 in 100 people (1 to 4 percent) get infected with CMV for the first time during pregnancy. You can pass CMV to your baby at any time during pregnancy.

Can you get lymphocytic choriomeningitis from a hamster?

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is a rare viral disease that can be transmitted through the urine, droppings, saliva, or cage material of infected wild and domestic rodents, including hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice, and other small rodents.

What to do if you have lymphocytic choriomeningitis?

To diagnose lymphocytic choriomeningitis, doctors do a spinal tap and blood tests to check for the virus. Treatment aims to relieve symptoms, but if people have meningitis or a brain infection, they are hospitalized and may be given an antiviral drug.

How is lymphocytic choriomeningitis a zoonotic disease?

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a zoonotic disease caused by a virus normally carried in rodents. Although rodents can become ill or suffer other adverse effects, such as a decrease in life expectancy, many infections in these animals seem to be inapparent. Most healthy people have a relatively mild illness and fatal infections are

Can a pregnant woman get lymphocytic choriomeningitis?

Chorioretinitis can cause blurred vision, eye pain, sensitivity to light, and blindness. If pregnant women are infected during the 1st trimester, the fetus may die. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is suspected in people who have typical symptoms (especially those suggesting meningitis or a brain infection) and who have been exposed to rodents.