Health Canada Advisory About Hamsters and Tularemia

Health Canada recently issued an advisory about tularemia and hamsters in parts of Canada. It seems some hamsters from a single distributor turned up positive for the bacteria that causes tularemia, and this distributor had shipped hamsters to five Canadian provinces. Tularemia can cause illness in people, and can be quite serious if not detected and treated with antibiotics. The advisory mainly applies to people in contact with hamsters acquired in the last 3 months. Here's a summary of tularemia, who should be concerned and what to look for: Health Canada Advisory about Hamsters and Tularemia.