Testing For Seoul Hantavirus

Hi, my name is Tabitha Dorn and I'm the owner/operator of FairlyRats Rattery & Mousery located in Portage, Wisconsin. As a lot of you have heard either on the internet, or news, there is a virus that seems to be traveling very quickly across the states. This is the Seoul, or Hantavirus. It originates from the Wild Norway rat, and has even become endemic in the United Kingdom. It is presumed this virus has made its way into the rat community by breeders making the decision to breed wild rats into their domesticated population. It is transferred from rat to rat, and rat to human - but can not be transferred human to human. It is spread by saliva, urine, and fecal matter (most commonly from sharing bedding). This virus is new to us in the United States, and the CDC and state health departments have been taking extreme action to prevent this spread. This is done through testing, or euthanizing populations. I have been personally in contact with my health department, and have been under quarantine since January of 2017. I have already taken all precautions to this, including strict sanitation, and not allowing any new stock in or out of my facility. I have a total of 42 rats. Nine of those are under 5 weeks of age, and five of those will be euthanized. 28 rats will need to be tested, at $10.95 each. We were terrified of testing at first because IDEXX has increased their prices to $35 per rat. Thankfully the CDC is working with us to get this to be more affordable to us, however it still is going to cost us $306.60I've been hesitant to ask, but I'm afraid to lose my rats. I've been breeding for almost three years now, and I would hate to lose all of my work, and my lines. I am asking for donations to help assist me in paying for this. I understand GoFundMe will charge me for some of this, but I have no problem paying that extra. I ask that you donate a full $10.95 US, and in return I will send you a thank you letter, as well as a photo of the rat you are paying to be tested. Thank you all! And god bless! ❤️