Pet Rabbits and Your Health
Rabbits are clean and for the most part there are very few health
risks involved with sharing our lives with them.
However, some people may experience problems and it is always
wise to know what signs to look out for and steps to take to try
and prevent any problems occurring.
It should be stressed that health problems from people
contracting things from rabbits are rare, and owners should not
lose sleep over them!
Firstly – there really is no need to panic!
When people talk about "health hazards" from pets, everyone thinks
first and foremost of diseases. From this point of view, pet rabbits
are brilliant, and for the most part do not pose a significant disease
hazard to humans.
However, keeping bunnies is not totally risk free. Problems do
sometimes arise - usually not from diseases, but from allergies,
which are the most significant "health hazard" from pet rabbits.
• Allergies
Rabbits need constant access to hay (or kiln-dried grass) to maintain
optimum dental and digestive health, but this can cause problems
for humans suffering from hay fever type allergies. There's also a risk
of becoming allergic to the rabbit itself, as rabbit fur can trigger
allergies over a period of time, especially if your rabbit lives indoors.
It is advisable to take steps to reduce the allergen exposure to
yourself and your family. For example, feed only high quality,
dust-free hay, or use a kiln-dried grass. Keep sections of the house
(especially bedrooms) rabbit and hay-free zones, to ensure that you
are not constantly bombarded with allergens, and vacuum regularly
using a machine with a high quality filter. Groom your rabbit regularly
to reduce the amount of dead fur flying round the house.
• Bites and scratches
Although these injuries can be painful (rabbits have very sharp teeth
and claws!), they rarely become infected, and usually heal rapidly.
However, it is always sensible to clean any bite/scratch thoroughly
(soap and hot water is fine) as soon as possible; to cover any breaks
in the skin before handling animals or meat; and to seek medical
advice if any signs of infection become apparent (e.g.
redness/tracking spreading out from the wound).
What you can (in theory), catch from your pet rabbit
Diseases that humans can catch from animals are called "zoonoses".
There are a few zoonoses reported from pet rabbits, but nothing
really significant to normal healthy people:
Cheyletiella
fur mites are commonly seen in pet rabbits; this condition
is often known as ‘walking dandruff’. They can cause a mild rash in
humans which is often itchy. If your rabbit is diagnosed with
Cheyletiella and you are concerned that you or a family member may
have contracted it, then it is advised that you seek advice from your
GP.
The bacteria Pasteurella multocida (one of the possible causes of
snuffles, a chronic respiratory illness causing sneezing and nasal
discharge) lurks in the mouth and nasal passages of many rabbits.
Theoretically, this could lead to a Pasteurella wound infection if a
rabbit bites a human, but in reality it is quite unusual for rabbit bites
to become infected at all. There are two reasons for this. Firstly,
bites from omnivorous or carnivorous animals are far more likely to
become infected than those from a herbivore rabbit: cat bites are
notoriously high risk for becoming infected, due to bacteria such as
Pasteurella.
Secondly, rabbits’ teeth are chisel-shaped, and rabbit bite
wounds are wider at the top than the bottom, which encourages
healthy healing. Nevertheless, it is always sensible to thoroughly
clean any bite or scratch with soap and water as soon as possible,
and ensure that tetanus immunisations are up to date.
Tetanus
Five tetanus immunisation injections are currently considered to offer
lifelong protection against tetanus from low-risk injuries such as cuts
and scratches. Hence, very few people actually need a booster when
they cut themselves – most young adults in the UK have had 5 jabs.
Children who are up to date with their immunisations are covered
too. If you don’t know how many tetanus immunisations you’ve had
in total, it’s worth checking with your GP, so you know whether you
need to get a booster if you do cut yourself or get scratched by your
bunny! For further information see http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/
Bacteria
Another respiratory tract bacteria that can cause "snuffles" – Bordetella
bronchiseptica
- is sometimes found in healthy rabbits. This species of
bacteria causes kennel cough in dogs, and is related to Bordetella
pertussis,
which produces whooping cough in humans. There are
reports of B. bronchiseptica causing a mild, self-limiting coughing illness
in humans, but only the severely immunocompromised need be concerned.
Fleas
Rabbits can get fleas, which can then bite humans. The actual rabbit
flea is rarely found in pet rabbits, unless outdoor bunnies have come
into contact with wild rabbits. Cat or dog fleas are much more
common, so it should be no surprise that cats and dogs are the
source of most rabbit flea infestations! Multi-species households
need a multi-species flea control strategy, and this is much easier
now that products are available specifically licensed for dogs, cats
and rabbits. Never use flea control products that are not licensed for
use in rabbits – some dog/cat flea treatments are dangerous to
rabbits, especially Fipronil, which is marketed as several spot on
products, including Frontline and has been responsible for countless
rabbit deaths.
Ringworm - which is actually a fungal infection, not a worm - can be
passed from rabbit to human, and vice-versa! Both the infected
rabbit and human/s require treatment.
Theoretically, salmonella, listeria and pseudotuberculosis can be
passed from rabbits to humans, but the risk is vanishingly small and
you are far more likely to catch these diseases via contaminated
food.
E. cuniculi
E. cuniculi is a parasite that is responsible for causing a host of
health problems in pet rabbits. Studies showed that 52% of
clinically healthy rabbits had been exposed to the parasite at some
point in their lives. How many of these would go on to develop
clinical signs of the parasite is unknown. E. cuniculi can infect
humans, but is only thought to be a risk to severely
immunocompromised individuals. If you do have an extremely poor
immune system it would be advisable to speak to your doctor
regarding the risks.
Most rabbit owners don't need to worry about catching illnesses from
their pet bunnies. Exceptions to the rule would be, people who are
very severely immunocompromised (e.g. due to chemotherapy; long
term steroids; or HIV/AIDS). These individuals need to take extra
care around all animals (and people!) as their immune system may
not be strong enough to protect them from infections that most
people would just shrug off. Contact between immunocompromised
humans and sick pets is particularly hazardous. Pet owners with
medical conditions that seriously affect immune function should
talk to their doctor and/or their vet for more specific advice.
What you CAN’T catch from rabbits
Toxoplasmosis
is caused by a protozoal parasite, which can infect most
mammalian species, including rabbits. Toxoplasmosis infection is a
particular concern to pregnant women, because it poses a significant
hazard to unborn children. Humans become infected by eating
undercooked meat from infected animals, or by contact with cat
faeces in litter trays or, (more commonly) contaminated garden soil.
However, cats are the only species capable of spreading the disease
when alive. This is why pregnant women are advised not to handle
cat litter trays, or to wear gloves if they must do so.
Rabbit faeces are not a source of infection and live rabbits cannot
spread toxoplasmosis. Similarly, although rabbits can become
infected with various species of tapeworms (see below), humans can
only catch tapeworms from rabbits by eating them, so again, not an
issue for the pet rabbit owner.
Rabbit litter trays pose no specific hazard to pregnant women,
though standard hygiene precautions should always be taken and
hands washed after dealing with rabbit urine and faeces.
Coccidiosis is another protozoal parasitic infection, and can also be
dismissed as a human health concern. The species of coccidia found
in rabbits are species specific and should not infect humans. A
similar parasite, Cryptosporidium, can affect both rabbits and humans
(it causes a diarrhoeal illness) and theoretically spread from rabbit to
human. However, this is unlikely - you are more likely to catch
Cryptosporidium
from inadequately treated domestic water supplies, or
when travelling abroad.
Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD/HVD); two deadly
viral diseases pet rabbits should to be vaccinated against, do not
affect humans.
What your rabbit can catch from you
We're not aware of many diseases that rabbits can catch from
humans. We have already mentioned ringworm, but whether this is
because diseases don't pass from human to rabbit, or whether it is
because we don't recognise or look for them, remains to be seen.
One hazard that most rabbit owners will not be aware of is that
rabbits are highly susceptible to herpes simplex virus or HSV, which
causes cold sores in humans. HSV can cause a nasty brain infection
(encephalitis) in rabbits, with features such as sudden head tilt and
loss of balance that could mimic a dramatic middle ear infection, or
E. cuniculi
related problems. HSV has been reported in literature having
affected rabbits who developed HSV encephalitis following close
contact with their owners who were suffering from HSV cold sores.
It isn’t know how significant this risk is, but until more information is
available, we would advise rabbit owners with an active cold sore to
wash their hands before handling their rabbit and definitely not to
kiss the bunny until the cold sore has gone.
What your rabbits can catch from other animals
As far as we are aware, parasites are the main hazard to your rabbit
from other animals. Within the household, cats and dogs can bring
home fleas to leap onto your rabbit (and you!). An integrated flea
control strategy is recommended for multi-species households, and
your local veterinary practice is the best place to go for advice, as
they can supply more effective treatments than are available in pet
shops and supermarkets. Always use products that are specifically
licensed for use on the species intended. Green food collected from
fields and grass verges can be a source for worm infections. Various
intestinal worms can be acquired from green food contaminated by
wild rabbit droppings.
Tapeworms can be acquired if rabbits eat vegetation contaminated
with carnivore faeces, usually fox droppings, although domestic dogs
and cats are a possible source of transmission too. Rabbits are an
‘intermediate host’ for tapeworm infection - the worms cannot
complete their lifecycle in the rabbit, hence rabbits cannot pass on
tapeworm infections except by being eaten - but infected bunnies
may develop tapeworm cysts in the skin (which may not pose much
of a problem) or liver (which can be very serious). If you do collect
green food from outside your garden (or if wild animals come into
your garden) - do wash them thoroughly before use. Similarly, ensure
that any dogs and cats you own are wormed regularly, particularly if
they scavenge or hunt, for the protection of both you and your
bunny!
What your rabbits can give to other animals
Just as pet rabbits don't pose a significant hazard to you, they are
pretty harmless to other animals too. One exception may be guinea
pigs, which (theoretically) are susceptible to serious respiratory
problems if they catch Bordetella bronchiseptica; a bacterium that many
rabbits carry sub-clinically in their nasal cavity. We don't recommend
keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together in the first place as there
are real health and welfare issues since the species are so different
and require company of their own kind.
In closing…
There are two certainties in both human and veterinary medicine:
there's no such word as "never", and advice changes as information
becomes available. We have brought you the most up to date
information we could find, but cannot accept responsibility for any
harm that may result if we turn out to be wrong. However, we're only
saying this because we would be daft not to..... we don't want to be
sued in twenty years time if someone catches a disease from a
rabbit that we don't even know exists at the time of writing! We
share our homes with our rabbits just like you do, and as we said at
the start.... don't lose any sleep! Being realistic…. contact with our
fellow humans is far, far more hazardous than bunnies will ever be!
This article first appeared in "Rabbiting On" in Spring 2004.It was revised and updated by Dr Linda Dykes in
August 2006. © Linda Dykes/RWA 2006, and by Claire Speight RVN in December 2012. Reviewed by Richard
Saunders BSc BVSc CBiol MSB CertZooMed DZooMed (Mammalian) MRCVSin Feb 2013.