A good option for a cage is a large fish tank. Infectious Diseases Gerbils are rodents and can transmit diseases, though this is improbable when they are kept in domestic environments and in good sanitary conditions. One of the transmittable diseases is salmonellosis. This bacterium is often involved in cases of outbreaks of food poisoning. Gerbils should be kept in clean places and be taken to the veterinarian at the first signs of disease.
Leptospirosis is another disease that can be transmitted to gerbils.
It is caused by Leptospira spp. Thus, gerbils have to be kept away from mice and their urine. Cats and dogs are frequently vaccinated against this disease, but not pet rodents. In humans, leptospirosis can cause serious infection accompanied by fever, headache and jaundice. Hymenolepis nana is a worm that parasites the small intestine of rodents.