SDAV - what to look for and what to do, and where to find out more.

SDAV is a very nasty virus which displays no symptoms in the initial stages, but it attacks the rat's immune system and they usually die from secondary infections. Death is usually swift after two weeks and can wipe out an entire rattery.

The NFRS article
The thread on Fancy Rats

Excerpt from the latter, as it is a little more accessible:

The symptoms of SDAV vary between rats, between strains of the virus, but they include:

* Sensitivity to light
* Sneezing
* Porphyrin staining
* Symptoms of secondary infections such as sneezing, chest noises, pneumonia
* Swellings around the neck.
* Bulging of eyes.
* Porphyrin staining, bleeding, or discoloration of tissue around the eyes in some cases
* Deaths in the rattery


SDAV is a highly contagious virus, alone it is not fatal but it weakens the immune system allowing secondary infections to take hold and often kill the rat.

Rats will begin to show symptoms as early as 5 days but as late as two weeks, symptoms of secondary infections may show sooner or later depending on the infection. It it important to note that not all rats infected with SDAV will show symptoms.

There is no treatment for SDAV itself and, actually, this is not needed. However, aggressive blanket treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics at the maximum possible doses for 3-4 weeks should be given to reduce the number of deaths in your group or rattery. Topical eye treatments are helpful to increase the rats' comfort.

If you suspect you have an infection, please keep your rats at home and avoid contact with any other rats or rat owners. It's also been suggested that you add soluble aspirin to drinking water (you may have the sweeten the water with a vitamin supplement to encourage them to drink).

Ann Storey had this to add on the NFRS forum:

"1) Rats who get eye symptoms, will get better, honestly. The odd one may lose an eye because they have scratched it however...
2) If you have kittens in the nest they should be ok, and certainly fine to breed with later, plus they will be immune. However weaners are especially at risk. Pregnant does who have not had this infection previously may also become very ill, as their immune response is impaired at this time.
3) Once you have this you don't 'keep getting it back'. Rats only carry this virus for a couple of weeks and are immune post infection.
4) The incubation phase is 4-6 days when the rat will also begin shedding virus. Most rats are improving after 14 days but they stop shedding a few days before this. Rats who are still ill after this point have a secondary infection, probably with mycoplasma, as this infection is activated by SDAV and Sendai.

5) The initial symptoms are sneezing, some never develop any other symptoms. Otherwise rats can go on to get rattles, swollen eyes and neck glands, red and crusty eyes and pneumonia. Secondary problems (not due to the virus itself) are damaged or lost eyes and activated mycoplasma respiratory disease. Death, where it occurs, is usually down to pneumonia.

6) Treatments are mostly supportive and include blanket treatment with soluble aspirin in the drinking water for all affected rats to reduce fever and pain (1 tablet in 2 pints), children's Sudafed, bathing the eyes of affected rats with mild saline, abs for the worst affected to help prevent myco, fluid replacement for the worst affected. Very sick rats will need nursing care if they are to stand a chance. I have found that a spot of brandy in sweetened milk can work wonders.

7) It is strongly advised that anyone with rats that they suspect of having this condition stays away from other rats until 14 days after the last rat became ill.

8) Its one of those viruses that luckily dies quite easily out of the body so it is unlikely that you can transmit it on your clothes. Transmission is mostly via infected nasal and salivary droplets."

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