Commercial feeder supplier Rodent Pro suffered an outbreak of the zoonotic disease Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a rodent-borne infectious disease, in May of 2012, according to a release by the company posted to kingsnake.com.

According to the release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined 14 customers received mice that might have been exposed to the disease, and that those customers have been contacted by the CDC.

Though rarely fatal, LCMV and its flu-like symptoms can cause complications in people with weakened or compromised immune systems.

According to the CDC website, "Individuals become infected with LCMV after exposure to fresh urine, droppings, saliva, or nesting materials. Transmission can also occur when these materials are directly introduced into broken skin, the nose, the eyes, or the mouth, or presumably, via the bite of an infected rodent. "

Commercial facilities such as Rodent Pro and their suppliers are routinely tested for LCMV as well as other zoonotic diseases and pathogens by the USDA. If found to host an infective agent, those facilities are barred from selling and are put through an extensive sanitation process before they allowed to resume operation.

Based on data from the CDC, LCMV is a relatively common disease in its vector, the common house mouse, and you are more likely to become infected from wild mice at home than pet mice, rats, or other rodents. Still, proper animal husbandry and sanitation techniques can limit pet owners' exposure to LCMV and many other zoonotic pathogens:

The primary host is the common house mouse, Mus musculus. Infection in house mouse populations may vary by geographic location; about 5% of mice throughout the United States carry LCMV. The virus is found in the saliva, urine, and feces of infected mice. Infected mice carry LCMV and shed it for the duration of their lives without showing any sign of illness. Other types of rodents, such as hamsters, are not the natural reservoirs but can become infected with LCMV from wild mice at the breeder, in the pet store or home environment. Humans are more likely to contract LCMV from house mice, but infections from pet rodents have also been reported.

Zoonotic diseases are diseases caused by infectious agents that can be transmitted between (or are shared by) animals and humans. Anyone and everyone, whether they have pets or not, is vulnerable to a zoonotic disease. LCMV, Salmonella, Tularemia, West Nile, Malaria, Bubonic Plague, Rabies and even Ebola are all considered zoonotic diseases.

One of the top experts on zoonotic diseases, Dr. Jennifer Wright of the CDC, who specializes in salmonella, will be a panelist at the Reptile Law Conference in Houston in September. For more information and to register for this free event, see http://nraac.org.

Editor's note: Rodent Pro is an advertiser on kingsnake.com and ConnectedByPets.com.