In spite of all our differences, the one thing that binds all living creatures is that we each have an expiration date. This finality to our existence is what makes life special, something to be cherished and protected. But occasionally things can go terribly wrong…
Apr
22nd
Author: Taz |
Files under Animals, Casualties: Low
A woman is suing PetSmart after her husband died from a liver transplant infected with a rodent virus. The lawsuit alleges her husband and two other organ recipients died after receiving transplants from a woman who had contracted the virus from a hamster she bought at a PetSmart store in Rhode Island.
A PetSmart spokesman would not comment on the lawsuit but said the virus is rare. "It’s not a common disease in pets. It’s not something that’s tested routinely by us or others."
The virus is found in mice, hamsters and other rodents and usually causes only flu-like symptoms in humans, but can be fatal in people with compromised immune systems.
