An 8-year-old California diagnosed with a rat bite fever after playing with rats



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A Californian girl is recovering after being diagnosed with rat-bite fever, which doctors believe she has contracted from one of her pet rats.

Cali, whose last name was not revealed at a press conference with his doctor and mother, has an eczema on his hands that may have contributed to the infection.

Rat Bite Fever is an infectious disease caused by two different bacteria, which can be fatal if left untreated. It is usually transmitted by contact with rodents carrying bacteria, or by the consumption of food or water contaminated with urine and infected rodent feces, according to control and prevention centers. diseases (CDC).

"As I was coming out of the room at one point, Cali said to me," What I will miss most is that I will miss my pet rat, "said Dr. Jane Burns, A Kawasaki Disease Specialist at Rady Children's Hospital, who cared for Cali, said at a press conference. "And I turned around and it was a moment" Aha " for me."

At the hospital, Cali, 8, told her doctor that she was going to miss her pet rats (not pictured), which warned her of the possibility of contracting the fever caused by a rat bite.

At the hospital, Cali, 8, told her doctor that she was going to miss her pet rats (not pictured), which warned her of the possibility of contracting the fever caused by a rat bite.
(IStock)

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Cali had been brought to Burns from an outdoor emergency room after developing high fever, weakness and pain in the limbs and a complete rash. Because of her symptoms, it was suspected that she was suffering from Kawasaki disease, but Burns said she had other symptoms that were not compatible with the illness.

Cali, who has eczema on his hands, called the rats, named Onyx and Shell, for two years, according to his mother, identified as Sabrina. The family often plays and manipulates the rats, but she has never had a disease problem.

"My daughter was very sick Friday night with a fever," Sabrina told ABC Action News. "It was very hot on Saturday and a rash started to appear. On Sunday, she climbed to 104.6 and her eruption worsened considerably and she started complaining about not being able to stand up or use her legs. continued, it was as if his arms were not usable and his hands, and his rash – his whole body was covered with a rash. "

Sabrina stated that they had decided to take her to the hospital after Tylenol and Ibuprofen had not responded to her symptoms.

"It was really scary," Sabrina said at the press conference. "Really hard to watch."

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Burns said that the bacteria that infected Cali is susceptible to many antibiotics and that she started taking doxycycline, which greatly improved it in the space of three days.

"It's very sensitive to all penicillin antibiotics, and we've been treating Cali with Doxycycline, a class of antibiotics that also treats another type of tick-borne or chigger-related infection that we have in the county." She said.

The family hoped to be able to get out of the hospital on Sunday, but she was not expecting to have to part with her beloved pet, which she had saved from a local store. food.

"I think people become very attached to their pets, but if you know that the animal is harboring an organism that can be fatal, you may want to avoid keeping this animal at home," Burns said. of the press conference.

Burns said that those who choose to keep rats as pets should handle them safely and wash their hands after cleaning the cage or holding them.

"After contact with the rat or cleaning the cage, because it can be transmitted through the urine – you have to wash your hands, it's as simple as that," she said. "And you must avoid being bitten by the rat, because any ripping of the skin can be an entrance door. In Cali's case, she was suffering from eczema and this could have been a way to break the skin or make her more vulnerable, and even the simple act of handling the rat was a source of exposure for the body in his case. "

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Sabrina said that she was looking for someone willing to welcome rats, which she described as being similar to "little dogs".

"We all cried a lot, we do not want to do it – it's going to be very difficult, I always have to find someone who will accept to take rats, so it's not fun to tell your child have to get rid of your best friend, "said Sabria.

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