This article is from the Win-Spring 2018 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

Studies done in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) by the Vancouver Rat Project in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, found heart disease in the wild rats tested. Of the rats examined, 33.5% were affected by cardiomyopathy, which included scar tissue, inflammation, and cell death in the heart muscle. Older rats and males were more likely to be affected. They also found abnormal mineral deposition in 19% of the rats which was more common in older rats and black rats. This shows wild rats are affected by similar heart disease as laboratory rats which would be a species tendency rather than something from domestication.

Article Article Wild rats have heart disease! A survey of cardiovascular pathology in wild urban rats on Vancouver Rat Project. There were several various studies done that you can find on the Results and Resources page.

Note: Any wild rodents a person brings in for any reason needs to be medicated, treated for parasites, quarantined, and tested as they can bring in infectious diseases to your pet stock or yourself.