Beware! The "cute pets" in Nezha 2 are actually the source of Class A infectious diseases!

On February 22, a Shanghai resident said that after watching a movie, he found groundhogs interesting and cute, so he bought one online. However, after receiving it, he found that its eyes were red, its skin was ulcerated, and there was no animal quarantine certificate. He posted a complaint on Xiaohongshu to complain about the merchant, but netizens quickly realized that the groundhog was suspected to have been infected with plague. The original owner "released" the groundhog out of fear, which has since sparked heated discussions among netizens.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

On February 24, a staff member of the Wildlife Protection Division of the Shanghai Municipal Greening and Urban Appearance Administration stated: “The citizen purchased a Himalayan marmot online, which is not a species that needs to be regulated by the National Wildlife Protection Law. If the marmot does not have an animal quarantine certificate, it should be confiscated and disposed of harmlessly in accordance with the law.”

The waiter's investigation found that to date (February 28, 2025), the e-commerce platform still has illegal sales under the name of "pet marmots", with prices ranging from 200 to 800 yuan, and the product page does not publicize the quarantine qualifications.

Image source: Taobao screenshot

Expert analysis: The deadly threat behind cute pets Groundhogs, scientifically known as marmots, are large rodents that are mainly distributed in the western plateau areas of China. However, this seemingly cute wild animal is actually a natural host of many deadly pathogens and one of the main sources of infection of China's Class A infectious disease, plague.

Image source: @电影Nezha: The Devil Boy Conquers the Dragon King Official Weibo

Viruses that groundhogs may carry 1: Yersinia pestis

Image source: Baidu Encyclopedia

The most common plague virus is bubonic plague, which is characterized by severe swelling and pain in the lymph nodes (such as the groin and armpits) and a mortality rate of up to 75%; the second is pneumonic plague, with symptoms including coughing up blood in sputum, respiratory failure, and an untreated mortality rate of nearly 100%, with death as fast as 24 hours; there is also septicemic plague, the dreaded Black Death, which is characterized by widespread bleeding throughout the body and cyanosis of the skin. The course of the disease is only 1-3 days, with a mortality rate of 100%.

Groundhogs may carry virus 2: Lyme disease

Image source: Baidu Encyclopedia

Typical symptoms include migratory erythema at the bite site, a red rash that spreads in a circular pattern, and flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, etc. Many celebrities have also publicly shared their experiences of being infected with this virus, such as Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, Bella Hadid, etc.

Groundhogs may carry virus 3: rabies virus

Image source: Baidu Encyclopedia

Everyone should be familiar with this virus. It is almost 100% fatal and there is currently no effective treatment.

In addition, groundhogs are wild and difficult to tame, have strong stress reactions, attack quickly and bite hard, and some owners have been bitten and suffered horrible wounds. Of course, the most important thing is that it is illegal for individuals to keep groundhogs, which will invade the local ecosystem.

Don't touch it no matter how cute it is! The National Health Commission has issued an urgent reminder

On the 25th, the National Health Commission and the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health science report, emphasizing that plague is not only spread by rats, but also by many rodents in nature, such as rats and marmots. Watching and amusing groundhogs is a high-risk behavior, and do not capture or raise groundhogs.

As the cute pet economy is booming, consumers should improve their legal and scientific knowledge and choose legal pet breeds. Any behavior that touches the red line of wild animals under the pretext of "hunting for curiosity" will face the dual cost of legal prosecution and health risks.

Review expert: Zhu Shuilin, President of Zhejiang Small Animal Association

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