8-year-old girl, "At the door of death" after contracting a life-threatening illness in the domestic rat

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An eight-year-old girl from San Diego was hospitalized for a week after contracting the "Rat Bite Fever" (RBF), the same disease that resulted in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against a pet store In the region. years before.

Last week, Cali was "on the brink of death," says his mother after contracting the disease. She is currently recovering at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.

RBF is an infectious disease that is commonly spread through contact with rodents carrying the bacterium Streptobacillus moniliformis, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If left untreated, it can be fatal and have a death rate of up to 13% in just a few days, Mail Online reported.

The illness made Cali suffer so much that the family did not even want to touch her, his mother, Sabrina, told NBC News.

"She's 190% better. She is walking now. She moves and uses her arms. She eats and drinks, "she says. "It was really scary and really hard to watch.

"We could not even touch her because she was so hurt," she added. "She wants to go home. His house is missing. We both do. She wants to see her other animals. "

Cali was playing with her two pet rats, Shell and Onyx, when she started showing signs of RBF on May 25th.

"They are like little dogs. They play with you, they run with you, "said Cali's mother about Shell and Onyx.

Family members stated that they had never been informed of the risks associated with RBF when they brought the two rats home two years ago.

Although she was not bitten by rodents, Cali suffered a temperature of 104.6 degrees Celsius, her body was covered with a rash, and she could not walk because of joint pain.

Other symptoms of the infectious disease may include vomiting, headache, and muscle aches. Although symptoms usually begin to appear between three and 10 days after the first contact with the bacteria, they can be delayed for three weeks, according to the CDC.

RBF is believed to have been carried in the urine or saliva of the rat, which then entered a break in Cali's skin while she was suffering from eczema on her fingers, a doctor said. Fox5.

Dr. Jane Burns told the media that she came to the diagnosis after Cali mentioned her house rat.

"In fact, while I was leaving the room at one point, Cali said to me," What I will miss most is that I will miss my pet rat, "Burns said. "And I turned around and it was a moment" aha! "For me."

A week after her hospitalization, the eight-year-old is recovering well after being treated with antibiotics and hopes to be home soon with her family.

Following the advice of Cali's doctor, the family is now looking for a new home forever for Shell and Onyx.

"We did not want to do it. It's not fun to tell your child that you have to get rid of your best friend, "Sabrina told 10News.

The family will not give the rats to strangers, fearing that they will only be used to feed other animals, reported NBC News.

Petitioner sued

Cali's RBF case is the third in the hospital in the last six years. The worst incident occurred in 2013 when a 10-year-old died of the disease.

Aidan Pankey, 10, was killed by the disease just under two weeks after his grandmother bought him a Petco pet rat, NBC News reported.

The Pankey family has filed a $ 20 million lawsuit against the pet shop company, accusing Petco of failing to properly inform its customers of the risks associated with owning a rat for pets, but the jury did not consider the company cautious.

Cali's doctor urges families to be fully aware of the risks involved in owning a domestic rat, as well as symptoms of RBF before making the purchase.

"Parents need to know what the risks are. They need to know what the signs and symptoms are, "Burns told NBC.

Since 1839, only 200 cases of the disease have been recorded in the United States.

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