Re: RC: Rabies

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Hi Truman
I'm attaching an excerpt from an email I got re: opossums. Maybe if there is
one chink in the armor people will realize, as you have, that there is no
need for over kill. Rabies is rare and the vets in CA are not pushing
vac's--at least not in the Central Coast area. Probably a good idea every few
years, but I do not think I am going to do a yearly thing after all I've
read. I would be more concerned about getting rabies from my teenage
daughters than my horses (or other critters). Here is what an expert on
rabies wrote to me:

" Mice are what we used to incubate rabies virus
for testing.
>
> They certainly do have rabies, but do not act as a danger
to other wild
> life, probably because they die of the virus without
becoming an attack
> animal. It is called Dumb Rabies.
>
> We have only had possums in our area recently, but I
have never heard of a
> rabid possum,  cats also tend to die before they hit the
attack stage.
> Just get sick and curl up and die.
>
> But that does not mean you cant get rabies from a Dumb
Rabies case, it just
> means you won't be attacked, you have to willingly
inoculate yourself with
> the virus from the sick or dead animal.
>
> Joan Ruprecht (expert on rabid animals-any way relative to
many of us)
> Public Health Microbiologist  now endurance rider."

Thanks for the clarification, Joan.
Bette (and no I haven't gotten my computer fully reloaded yet so no signature
card--later...Janice Taylor where are you? I need your address to send you
the tape; anyone on line know her address?)

Truman Prevatt wrote:

> There was a horse in TN about a year ago that was diagnosed with rabies
> by the vet.  To be sure it was euthanized and sent off for analysis.
> The results came back inconclusive but with an indication of rabies so
> the lab had to perform additional test.  In the mean time the people had
> to be treated as if it were rabies.  Thank goodness they didn't
> euthanize any of the other horses, because it turned out not to be
> rabies.
>
> Seems that there is not even a clear consciences as to possums getting
> rabies from this and several other post.
>
> >From what I have read and heard over the past few years for various vets
> and others I am not sure we truly understand everything we need to know
> to make an informed rational decision concerning this issue.
>
> It is too bad that the word rabies conjures up such an emotional
> reaction.
>
> T
>
> > A horse just down the road from me was diagnosed with rabies this
> > year, and we have had several cases of possums and even a rabbit!
> > that attacked children while playing in their yard.
>
> --
> Truman Prevatt
> Brooksville, FL
>
> Mystic "The Horse from Hell" Storm
> Buck's Mystic Karma
> Rocket a.k.a. Mr. Misty
> Jordy a.k.a. Bridger (when he is good)
> Danson Flame - Hot Dog I'm healed and ready to go.
>
> http://www.mrsl.com
>
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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=