Do Chinchillas Carry the Plague?

1 Do Chinchillas Carry the Plague?

What is the plague?

The plague, also called the Black Death, is caused by Yersinia pestis and is contagious. It normally occurs among rodents and other wild mammals and is passed to humans through flea bites. The pathogen can spread by droplets or through the bite of a sick rat or animal. If antibiotic treatment starts within 24 hours of onset, most patients recover and gain lasting immunity.

Do chinchillas carry the plague?

Chinchillas do not carry the plague. A chinchilla’s fur density is tens of times that of other animals — the highest of any living animal — so fleas or other parasites hardly appear on them at all, let alone the plague.

Also, although the chinchilla belongs to the Chinchillidae family, it is not a kind of rat or mouse. Chinchillas are very clean; owners only need to watch their diet and hygiene and avoid bathing them too often, which would disrupt the oil balance of their fur. They generally live one and a half to two years.

Owners must also understand one thing: a chinchilla is not born sick — it only falls ill after catching a pathogen. A house chinchilla stays in its cage and basically will not catch any serious disease, much less the plague.

While chinchillas do not carry rabies and essentially do not host the plague pathogen, they may still harbor other germs, so keep some distance when interacting with them and avoid being bitten. Keep their living space clean day to day to lower their disease risk.

The above covers whether chinchillas carry the plague. If you worry about plague pathogens on your chinchilla, take it to a veterinary clinic for a check — that will put your mind at ease.