From:
swamp
Date: 2001-10-02 15:58:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: rabies
Jacqueline Snyder asked:
> > Rabies question (animals in general, not just ferrets) - Why are animals
> > that have bitten killed and a brain sample taken? More accurately, why
> are
> > they still handled this way? I recall this practice from my childhood
> > decades ago--surely someone has developed a less drastic method of
> checking
> > for the rabies organism?
And Karen Purcell answered:
> Nope, that is the only choice we have. Believe me, all vets would
>prefer something less gruesome than decapitation. I have clients
>routinely ask me to test their animals for rabies - apparently the
>method is not common knowledge.
I think the answer to Ms. Snyder's question lies with negative specificity.
Sukie started on it when she described the way rabies progresses. Rabies
virus will eventually turn up in corneal and saliva samples of infected
animals but we want to be sure the animal *couldn't* transmit rabies, not
that it could. The only method we currently have to assure a bite victim
(or PH official) that the animal is/was 100% incapable of transmitting the
disease is by staining and fluoroscoping brain tissue. If the brain tissue
sample shows positive the animal may or may not have been shedding. If the
brain tissue is negative then we're certain the animal could not have been
shedding at the time of the bite.
Rob