Can rats transmit rabies to humans?

Rabies Risk from Domestic or Street Rats

Domestic or street rats are almost never found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans. 1

Epidemiology of Rabies in Rodents

• Small rodents, including rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, and chipmunks, are rarely infected with rabies and have not been documented to cause rabies among humans 2
• From 1990 through 1996, in areas with endemic raccoon rabies, woodchucks (not rats) accounted for 93% of the 371 cases of rabies among rodents reported to CDC 2, 1
• The FDA guidelines specifically state that "rodents (such as squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, and mice) and lagomorphs (including rabbits and hares) are rarely found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to cause human rabies in the United States" 3

Risk Assessment for Rat Bites

• Even in areas with endemic wildlife rabies, rats remain an extremely low-risk species for rabies transmission 1
• The primary rabies vectors worldwide are:
  • Wild carnivores (especially skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes) 2
  • Bats, which are increasingly implicated as important wildlife reservoirs for variants of rabies virus transmitted to humans 2
  • Dogs, particularly in developing countries in Asia and Africa 4, 5

Management of Rat Bites

• Immediate and thorough washing of all bite wounds with soap and water for 15 minutes is recommended for all animal bites, including rat bites 1, 3
• Application of a virucidal agent such as povidone-iodine solution to the wound is advised 1
• Assessment for tetanus prophylaxis and antibiotics for bacterial infection should be considered for all bite wounds 1, 3
• Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is generally not indicated for rat bites unless the rat's behavior was highly unusual 1

When to Consult Public Health Authorities

• In all cases involving rodents, including rats, the state or local health department should be consulted before a decision is made to initiate antirabies post-exposure prophylaxis 2
• This consultation is particularly important if:
  • The rat exhibited unusual behavior (unprovoked aggression, neurological symptoms) 1
  • The incident occurred in an area with unusual rabies epidemiology 2

Important Caveats

• The risk of bacterial infection, particularly rat bite fever, is a more significant concern than rabies with rat bites 1
• While rabies in rats is extremely rare, other diseases can be transmitted through rat bites and should be the primary concern 1
• There are no documented cases of rabies transmission from rats to humans anywhere in the world based on available evidence 2, 1

Conclusion on Global Incidence

• There are no documented cases of rabies transmission from domestic or street rats to humans in the medical literature or surveillance data 2
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) guidelines consistently classify rats as extremely low-risk animals for rabies transmission 1, 3