Common Diseases of Mice

Question 1

How are diseases of mice (and rats) handled?

Answer 1

As a herd health problem rather than an individual one

Question 2

What bacterial diseases are mice susceptible to?

Answer 2

Murine respiratory mycoplasmosis

Tyzzer’s disease

Question 3

What viral diseases are mice susceptible to?

Answer 3

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
Sendi virus
Mouse pox
Mouse hepatitis virus

Question 4

Is the Murine respiratory mycoplasmosis and Tyzzer’s Disease in mice the same as rats?

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

What is subclinical in rats but highly contagious and causes serious epidemics and death in mice?

Answer 5

Sendai virus

Question 6

What are the clinical signs of Sendai virus

Answer 6

Weight loss
Dyspnea
Chattering

Question 7

How do you diagnose Sendai virus in mice?

Answer 7

Serologic testing or characteristic lesions

Question 8

How do you treat Sendai virus?

Answer 8

Isolation of young and weanlings for several months

Vaccines

Question 9

What viral disease is highly contagious with high rates of morbidity and mortality in mice?

Answer 9

Mousepox (Ectromelia)

Question 10

How do you diagnose Mousepox

Answer 10

Serologic testing

Question 11

How do you treat mousepox?

Answer 11

Quarantine of imported animals

Question 12

What viral disease has a natural infection in nearly 100% of wild mice populations?

Answer 12

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis

Question 13

How is Lymphocytic Chroriomeningitis transmitted?

Answer 13

Aerosol contamination
Bite Wounds
Transplacentally

Question 14

What are the clinical signs of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis?

Answer 14

Lymphocytic infiltrations
Glomerulonephritis
Convulsions
Photophobia
Weakness

Question 15

How do you prevent Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis?

Answer 15

Exclusion of wild rodents from the population

Assure animal feed is not contaminated from wild rodents or arthropod vectors

Question 16

What is a common coronavirus, is highly contagious and widespread in mice?

Answer 16

Mouse Hepatitis Virus

Question 17

How is Mouse Hepatitis Virus transmitted?

Answer 17

Oral-nasal route
Direct contact
Fomites
Transplacentally

Question 18

What are the clinical signs of Mouse Hepatitis Virus?

Answer 18

Diarrhea
Jaundice
Tremors
Suckling mice

Question 19

How can Mouse Hepatitis Virus be eliminated?

Answer 19

By isolating the colony for 4 weeks & breeding prevention

Question 20

What can prevent the spread of Mouse Hepatitis Virus?

Answer 20

Use of cesarean-derived or barrier-reared mice

Placement of micro-isolator tops on cages may prevent the spread

Question 21

What is Amyloidosis?

Answer 21

Amyloid deposits found in various organs

Question 22

What does myocardium changes cause in mice?

Answer 22

Acute death

Question 23

What occurs if mice are only fed soft food or if their jaw occludes in an abnormal way, or if their incisors may overgrow?

Answer 23

Malocclusion

Question 24

If the teeth are not clipped or animal is not allowed to chew what may happen?

Answer 24

The incisors may overgrow to the point that the animal can’t eat

Question 25

What occurs in young rats or mice when exposed to low-humidity environments?

Answer 25

Ringtail

Question 26

What does Ringtail cause?

Answer 26

Annular constriction of the tail which leads to edema, necrosis and sloughing

Question 27

What is Barbering?

Answer 27

Alopecia in the absence of pruritus

Question 28

What usually causes Barbering?

Answer 28

Chewing of the hair from cagemates

Question 29

Where is Barbering often restricted to?

Answer 29

The muzzle, head, and middorsal region

Question 30

How do you treat Barbering?

Answer 30

By removing the animal with no hair loss