From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-05-18 20:50:53 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: Ferret outings in the Heat - albinos & sun exposure
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6427207.1116449453913.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
> the mosquitos. There've been incidences of humans contacting rabies from bat poo,
> so do be careful.
Not so, BUT you do have be careful about getting an infected bat's saliva into an open wound or into your eyes even without an eye wound. (Charles Rupprecht of the CDC's Rabies Division used to send me a lot of cool studies...)
BTW, there was a Bat Conservation International study in the past showing that of sick bats who were "up" (Can use hind legs to hang) about 5% were rabid, whereas of sick bats who were "down" (Can't hang) about 15% were. Most with rabies-like symptoms turned out in that study to have bad levels of poisons in them instead. As someone who used to do some bat rescue years ago, though, I have to add that it does pay to exercise caution because of the handful of cases of active rabies in humans in the U.S. bat strains (esp gray bat strain) tend to be the typical one.
Now I think that perhaps between MC and me the record is set straight and we should get back on-topic with ferret health. Apologies because I should have just trimmed that original post. Mea culpa!