Re: RC: Rabies

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/9/00 9:39:41 AM Pacific Standard Time, Trishmare@aol.com 
writes:

<< With all due respect to Dr. Newell, I absolutely disagree.  The fact of 
the 
 matter is that there has NEVER been a recorded case of ANY animal who has 
 received at least two rabies vaccinations contracting rabies. >>

The point here is that we don't KNOW if they can contract rabies after 
receiving two lifetime immunizations or not.

As to the fact that no human cases have been reported following horse 
exposure--that may be true, but cases HAVE occurred following exposure to 
rabid cattle, the virus is present in horse saliva exactly the same way that 
it is in cattle saliva, and in the small number of documented horse cases, 
the vast majority of those exposed have received post-exposure treatment to 
prevent the disease.  Sorry, but I really would not like to be the guinea pig 
to see if one could, indeed, catch it from horses or not. 

There are two numbers that one looks at with any given disease to determine 
how important it is to vaccinate.  One is morbidity--the percentage of the 
population that actually gets a given disease.  The other is mortality 
rate--the percentage of those who get it that die.  If EITHER of those 
numbers is high, then IMO, it pays to be diligent about prophylaxis.  One one 
extreme, you have diseases like the common cold--very high morbidity, but 
very LOW mortality.  Since it is caused by a whole complex of viruses, 
vaccination is virtually impossible with current medical technology, but 
imagine the increased comfort and productiveness of a large number of people 
if colds could be prevented.  Then take a disease like rabies--your odds of 
getting it are very low, but if you DO get it, your odds of dying are very 
high.  NOT worth the risk when there is a good vaccine available.  Now--if 
you have diseases with the frequency of rabies and the severity of the common 
cold, you don't mess with vaccination, cuz it ain't worth the vaccination 
risk!

Heidi


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