This species can also serve as a reservoir for Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, though the disease usually spreads from rats to humans when domestic cats feed on infected brown rats.
Esta especie tamén serve de reeservorio do Toxoplasma gondii, o parasito que causa a toxoplasmose, aínda que a doenza normalmente só se espalla das ratas aos humanos cando os gatos domésticos se alimentan de ratas infectadas.