Hamster Bites & Human Disease

Hamsters can catch illnesses from people. Likewise, people can catch some illnesses from hamsters. While it's possible for people to get illnesses from hamster bites, the odds of a human catching any kind of illness or disease from a hamster bite are very rare.

  1. Disease Types

    • According to "The Laboratory Hamster and Gerbil," human diseases that can pass from hamster to person through a bite include rabies, tularemia and the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

    Other Disease Types

    • Michigan Technological University points out two rodent diseases that can live in hamster saliva, but are usually seem more in rats: rat-bite fever and hantavirus infection.

    People at High Risk

    • The editors of "Critters USA" magazine warn that pregnant women, people with immunity problems and anyone over 80 or under 3 years old are most likely to get sick from a hamster bite.

    Consideration

    • Clean and disinfect any bite wound from a hamster or other animal. Otherwise it may become infected from bacteria living on human skin, or from dirt and invading bacteria getting into the wound.

    Prevention

    • Only handle hamsters when they are awake and active, or else they may bite. Clean your hands after handling a hamster. If a hamster seems ill, handle it as little as possible.