Is Caring a Hamster Dangerous for Pregnant Mom?

Hamster known as one of the most lovable animal to keep as pet. They were spread in many variants of breeds, from Winter White Pedigree, Roborovski and Robo Dwarf hamster, Chinese hamsters, Campbell Russian hamster, Chinese hamster, and others. Try to know everything about them before you keep hamsters are a very wise idea. Like you need to understand, every breed requires difference nursery, although they shared the same basic equipment such cage.

Hamster’s housing is also very important; you need to know how to arrange the hamster cage, how to clean the hamster cage, and more – it’s not end up to purchasing cage only. Furthermore, famous as their delicate characteristic, doesn’t mean it would release people’s concernment. We can deny of people’s concern is caring a hamster dangerous for pregnant mom? We already know that some hamsters are effected children that caused allergic.

But, do hamsters also able to influence the health of pregnant women? That’s another issue. Today, we would peel this issue and seek the truth about it. Do not go anywhere, stay with us!

Pregnant Women and Hamster

• LCMV (Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus)

Is caring a hamster dangerous for pregnant mom? This particular question trigger people’s concern these days: research have been done, and you might surprise by it, that yes, hamster effect pregnant women’s health. A specialist of pediatric infectious disease and pediatric professor named Dr. Leslie Barton from the University of Arizona warned all pregnant women to be cautious for having contact with hamster.

It reviled that pregnant women that contacted with this rodent species potentially carry disease called LCMV (Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus). The host of LCMV would run the risk of damaged of fetus developing during the pregnancy. This study not only confirmed by Dr. Barton, but throughout many researchers worldwide. Barton explained that the real problem of infection of LCMV is the potential risk of unborn baby.

The most dangerous part about this virus is the asymptomatic process of infection. A healthy pregnant mom would not have any special symptom than a mild flu. To these days, reportedly among forty-nine infants worldwide had been infected by LCMV, and in her region area (Arizona) Dr. Barton already diagnosed cases of congenital LCMV disease. You need to understand that the virus was also effected fetus inside the mom.

Here’s a case of LCMV disease effected the health of babies after born: unknowing mom had contacted with hamster during the pregnancy of twin girls. After born, one of the girl unfortunately developed delayed and has seizures and another one has struggled with vision problem; this case was happened in Cochise Country. But, Dr. Barton admitted that not every hamster and rodent carried the virus, but she asserted for all pregnant women to know this information due to avoid unnecessary risk during the pregnancy.

Based on research almost about ninety percent of babies who had been contacted with LCMV has vision problems resulted as the most common outcomes. Among thirty-eight babies eighty-four percent suffered neurological problems, such as decrement of visual acuity, cerebral palsy, seizures, and mental retardation. The common sources of the virus was within hamsters and mice; it infects people who had direct contact and inhale the virus once it aerosolized by the hosts.

For you who think that LCMV was a new disease, you’re totally wrong, my dear friends. Turned out that this virus was existed around 1933 who infected woman who mistaken to have problem of enchephalitis. For the first time, U.K recognized it as the virus that caused congenital disease in 1955.

Back in that year, there’s case that a mom who infected with LCMV transferred the virus into her baby, and unfortunately, the baby can’t be safe and died short after the birth. However, don’t be afraid, folk; because these days, our technology has covered the issues, as long as is not too late.

• Diabetes Type 1

There’s surprising fact occur keeping hamster as pet; a research reviled a woman who keep hamster during pregnancy was developed diabetic type 1 problem in their childhood which transferred to the offspring than the one who didn’t keep hamster inside the house. This research was published in Pediatric Diabetes by cohort analysis.

The virus was transferred from pet and become one of the most common etiologies, said Johnny Ludvigsson, MD, PhD, a senior pediatrics professor of Linköping University Hospital in Sweden. He always asked his patient about pet during woman’s pregnancy due analyze the connection between pet and pregnancy, because commonly the destructive process was occurred in early life of sufferers of type 1 diabetes.

The professor explained a virus called enterovirus which included as part of Picornaviridae family being the culprit of autoimmune diabetes which most of the time hosted in rodents. Prof. Ludvigsson reviled his research: among 16,384 mothers between October 1998 to October 1999: about 45.5% of them was admitted had pets inside their house. The most common pet is cats which held about 25%, dogs about 18.7%, and hamsters about 0.9%.

The percentages of offspring that diagnosed with type 1 diabetes which reviled: cats about 1.1%, dogs about 1.01%, and hamster about 0.03%. Based on this result, researchers explained that there’s no association between transmission risk of type 1 diabetes with cats and dogs. But, it certainly a connection between hamsters and risk of diabetic offspring. Although the risk was openly informed by these researchers, it also admitted that this case is still rarely happened.

The conclusion is the best for you to avoid direct contact with hamsters and uncommon animal pets during the pregnancy due to prevent unnecessary risk of virus or bacterial transmission which not only infect the mom but also transfer to the offspring. If hamster, guinea pig, and other rodent family member potentially transmit LCMV to pregnant mom which leads to miscarriage and health issues of the child in the future, the reptilians such lizards, turtles, and snakes potentially transmit germs such as salmonella.

Once more again, it is the best move to avoid any contact with some pets during the pregnancy (all pets I mentioned above) due the safety of the baby inside mom’s belly and – of course, for the mom herself. So, my dear beloved friends, take a good care of your family wherever you are now!