From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2009-05-13 20:23:44 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: a Nat Geo website rabies article...
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Dr. Elizabeth Lawaczek at that same department wanted me to point out that while this is NOT casual transmission as with influenza, ANY strain of rabies can be passed in a some other ways which people may think of as casual: the licking of a wound, or infected saliva getting into eyes, for example.
I did wind up notifying the CDC and my own state dept, and heard from Dr. Faye Sorhage, our NJ leading rabies expert state public health veterinarian that when she called him about it she learned that that Dr. Charles Rupprecht, head of the rabies division of the CDC, is also going to see that the CDC gets Nat Geo to carry a correction, and that the members of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians are becoming aware of this to stave off any needless panic.
So, yes, this is an efficient strain, and if I were in that region (AZ and surroundings, esp the county with the most cases) I'd STRONGLY WANT TO HAVE PETS UP TO DATE ON RABIES VACCINATIONS, but it does NOT spread "like the flu".
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Sukie Crandall" <sukie@...> wrote:
>
> I have heard back from the Dr. Craig Levy,
> who is working with the this strain of rabies
> that is present in AZ and the transmission is
> NOT casual.
>
> They will be contacting Nat Geo about that
> huge error.
>
> It is always interesting to follow when a strain
> becomes efficient (his word) in a new host, and
> that is going on, but -- again -- the strain is
> NOT being passed casually.
>
> He emphasized that it is very important for
> people in that region to vaccinate against rabies.
> Take that to heart, please.
>
>
> --- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Sukie Crandall" <sukie@> wrote:
> >
> > Although it is unusual to leave all previous text
> > attached to an article in this case it may be
> > important to do so.
> >
> > The Nat Geo piece credits:
> > http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no08/05-1526.htm
> > as the source for "passive transmission" but no such
> > statement appears to be present in the article. I am
> > wondering if they also found that some animals had dumb
> > rabies and confused infection from such an individual
> > with passive or casual transmission because of the lack
> > of aggression.
> >
> > It is always interesting to following an emerging strain
> > and watch its evolution. What I can't find is why they
> > wrote "casual" in relation to the transmission.
> >
> >
> > --- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, Sukie Crandall <sukie@> wrote:
> > >
> > > ...leads to a need for more research to know how casually or not
> > > "casual" was used.
> > >
> > > http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090504-rabies-evolution.html
> > >
> > > It's a danged fine reason to be sure to vaccinate there while more is
> > > learned.
> > >
> > > They say relatives but NOT the relationship. Is it lateral/horizontal
> > > (like sib to sib) or can it be passed in birth process or in utero
> > > (vertical transmission)? Kits bite each other in play (a form of
> > > lateral transmission that does involve saliva). Mothers groom kits,
> > > including their injuries and eyes. Kits of many species of Carnivora
> > > lick the inside of their mothers' mouths to find out what they have
> > > been eating. So, the transmission does NOT have to have been casual.
> > > You don't NEED a bite to transmit rabies. You need infected fluids --
> > > such as saliva -- to get into an eye or into an open wound anywhere so
> > > a mouth sore from previously eating a bit of bone will do, as will a
> > > nick from a sibling's bite. According to an old study that I have not
> > > followed up on for later research, some species get it by eating
> > > neurological tissue of infected animals. Ferrets and cats don't get
> > > it that way, but dogs do and foxes are closely related to dogs. Such
> > > a shared meal could possibly infect a family.
> > >
> > > http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090504-rabies-evolution.html
> > >
> > > The CDC has not put it in their website news highlights:
> > > http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/news/
> > >
> > > Related:
> > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19395748
> > >
> > > It may be this one which has been followed somewhat since 2001:
> > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16965714
> > >
> > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12494966
> > >
> > > This has also been done with raccoons in the U.S. and foxes in Europe:
> > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19204355
> > >
> > > http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/39/3/746
> > >
> > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12038143
> > >
> > > http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/38/2/428
> > >
> > > In the news (See dates on articles):
> > > http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=11385
> > >
> > > http://sahuaritasun.com/articles/2009/05/01/breaking_news/00rabies503.txt
> > >
> > > http://campverdebugleonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=22906
> > >
> > > http://williamsnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=8748
> > >
> > > and
> > >
> > > http://www.lifesourcebiomedical.com/new-rabies-virus-evolving-quickly/
> > >
> > > So, there is a lot more that needs to be known before anyone panics,
> > > and a lot more to known before the word "casual" can be used casually,
> > > but people in that area want to be extra sure to vaccinate and this
> > > one bears watching and more research to better understand the behavior
> > > of the virus. It's good to know about, good to take precautions
> > > about, but not a reason to panic at this stage of information.
> > >
> > > Meanwhile, people should also monitor the CDC rabies site
> > > periodically, which is always a good practice, anyway. Also,
> > > certainly, vaccinate.
> > >
> > > Bottom Line: Rabies types/strains have been transmitted between
> > > species before, and I have NOT found a study reference which itself
> > > refers to this as involving "casual" transmission. So far I can't
> > > find where the beginning of the use of the term "casual" in relation
> > > to this strain began. Obviously, there is an origin, but without
> > > finding it and reading more it is impossible to assess just why the
> > > term was used or even if it was a good vocabulary choice.
> > >
> > > People are usually exposed to rabies due to UNvaccinated pets, and the
> > > most common strains affecting humans in the U.S. are usually bat
> > > strains.
> > >
> > > So, I am trying the next logical thing and have a request in with the
> > > relevant State Public Health Veterinarian in Arizona to try to find
> > > out just what "casual" means in this context, and if it has been used
> > > appropriately. Hopefully, she or one of her experts will have the
> > > time to send a reply I can share with you. If that does not pan out
> > > I'll ask at the CDC and hope that they have enough time to clarify and
> > > say if that word was used at all appropriately, but they also don't
> > > always have spare time, the same as all other busy professionals.
> > >
> > > So, I don't know if the vocabulary use made sense or if this is like
> > > when that elephant relative mandible wound up all over the news as a
> > > confiscated "Triceratops" jaw simply because someone asked an
> > > archeologist instead of a paleontologist, appalling anyone who knew
> > > their bones...
> > >
> > >
> > > Sukie (not a vet)
> > >
> > > Recommended ferret health links:
> > > http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
> > > http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
> > > http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
> > > http://www.miamiferret.org/
> > > http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
> > > http://www.ferretcongress.org/
> > > http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
> > > http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>
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