can mice catch human diseases?

Question
Hi Natasha

I have a cold at the moment and I used to have a hamster and he died because he caught a cold from me, he became very sick and died from it. I then read in a hamster book that hamsters can catch human illnesses and die so I've tried to be extra careful with the mice, I've been washing my hands extra thoroughly before handling them and turning away from them when I cough or sneeze and trying not to breath on them. I have a mouse care book but it didn't say anything about catching diseases so I tried to look online but I couldn't find anywhere that said whether they could or couldn't catch human diseases.

Should I not worry about them catching my cold or is it possible that they could become seriously ill from my cold?

Well thanks for answering my question :)

From Verity :D

Answer
Hi Verity,

Sorry that you have a cold! No, mice cannot catch the human cold (nor can hamsters). Viruses such as colds and flus are species specific. However, you can give mice bacterial infections, which can kill them.

When you have a cold, you may handle them but yes, wash hands, etc.  Just the way that when a mouse flares up with the common rat and mouse disease myco, it is at high risk for another bacterial infection; so are you more likely to be carrying stronger bacteria when you have a cold; thus being careful with a cold is not to protect them from the cold but from whatever else you might give them. And your cold can also turn into something bacterial. The two times I have gotten my pets sick-- one cage of mice, who didn't make it; and one cage of rats, who were treatable with antibiotics-- were when I had had a cold and it was turning into something worse but I did not know it yet.

Of course you always wash your hands before touching your mice anyway, right? :)

Hope you get over your cold quickly.

Squeaks n giggles,

Natasha

PS the hamster did not die of a human cold either.