No way to know...only time will tell. I've seen this before...long before I got into snakes (& rodents as snake food), I got a pair of rats as pets. The symptoms
were as you describe, came on quickly post-purchase...I took them to the vet & tried 2 different antibiotic medicines but they both died. Whatever it is, it's nasty
and keep in mind that many things rats carry can be transmissible to humans. (one of many zoonotic diseases) I'd let that pet store know, & also not buy rats
there again. Just like with people, some have better natural immunity than others. Keep in mind though that the stress on the female rat's body from reproducing
may tip the scale against her, or she may pass this to her offspring. (BTW, I've kept snakes now for decades & bred rodents, rats, mice, hamsters & a few gerbils
for nearly as long.) Isolating what is causing the illness would be pretty expensive.
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