squirrels

[satx78247]

Fwiw, there is a "form" of rabies that doesn't exhibit "the usual appearance" of rabies. = For that reason, ANY coon or skunk that I see in the daytime quickly joins "the ranks of the dear departed".

yours, satx

 

[coloradoclyde]

Fwiw, there is a "form" of rabies that doesn't exhibit "the usual appearance" of rabies. = For that reason, ANY coon or skunk that I see in the daytime quickly joins "the ranks of the dear departed".

yours, satx

Interesting, do you have the name of this pathogen?

Raccoons are a pest species in my area, one is dispatched regardless of time of day, but seeing one in the day time is not unusual especially in the before sunset and after sunrise.

Rabies actually increases a person or animal's sensitivity to light.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Rabies actually increases a person or animal's sensitivity to light.

It's thought that it may be the basis for some of the vampire superstitions.

LD

 

[coloradoclyde]

Approximately 7,000--9,000 cases of animal rabies are diagnosed annually in the United States (1). This report describes the first documented case of human rabies associated with a raccoon rabies virus variant. Of the 37 human rabies cases reported in the United States since 1990, no history of suspicious animal bite exposure was documented for 28 of the 30 cases presumed to be acquired in the United States. With the isolation of raccoon rabies virus from this patient, human cases have been associated with all of the major reservoirs and vectors of the disease in the United States, including dogs, cats, bats, foxes, skunks, coyotes, and bobcats. Human rabies cases without a definitive history of animal exposure are associated commonly with bat rabies viruses

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5245a4.htm

 

[coloradoclyde]

When it comes to rabies I would fear a cat the most..Unless you cat has never seen the light of day or been exposed to any other animal.

significant numbers of unvaccinated, free-roaming dogs and cats. In the United States, rabies is reported in cats more than in any domestic species.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Louis Pasteur , a French chemist and biologist, began closely studying bacteria while investigating the cause of souring in milk and other beverages. This led him to develop the process of pasteurization, where a liquid is boiled and then cooled to kill the bacteria that cause the souring.

This work led Pasteur into a more thorough study of bacteria, enabling him to prove that these microscopic organisms occurred naturally in the environment and did not simply appear spontaneously, as was then generally believed.

As the director of scientific studies at the Ecole Normale in Paris, Pasteur pursued his germ theory, which posited that germs attack the body from the outside. Proved right again, his work led to vaccinations being developed for many germ-borne diseases, including anthrax, tuberculosis, cholera and smallpox. It also led to further work on rabies, which was much more prevalent in Pasteur's time than it is today.

He developed his rabies vaccine by growing the virus in rabbits, then drying the affected nerve tissue to weaken the virus.


On July 6, 1885, the vaccine was administered to Joseph Meister, a 9-year-old boy who had been attacked by a rabid dog. The boy survived and avoided contracting rabies, which would have almost certainly proved fatal.

Good thing it worked: Pasteur was not a licensed physician and could have been prosecuted had the vaccine failed. The legalities were forgotten and Pasteur instead became a national hero.

 

[satx78247]

The so-called "furious form" & the so-called "dumb form" (sometimes called, "silent rabies") of rabies sare caused by at least THREE similar viruses: Lyssavirus, Ephemovirus & Vesiculovirus.
(There is also a similar virus, that seems to only affect bats in Australia/NZ, that MAY be yet another form of the rabies-causing virus.)

All of the known similar viruses that cause rabies are members of the non-segmented, negative-stranded genomes & are members of the "bullet-shaped" group of viruses called: Rhabdoviridae.

NOTE: Once the patient starts exhibiting symptoms of the disease, it is almost always fatal = There a a total of SIX known patients, who have survived the actual disease. All of those patients were treated using "The Milwaukee Protocol".

yours, satx

 

[coloradoclyde]

The so-called "furious form" & the so-called "dumb form" (sometimes called, "silent rabies") of rabies sare caused by at least THREE similar viruses: Lyssavirus, Ephemovirus & Vesiculovirus.
(There is also a similar virus, that seems to only affect bats in Australia/NZ, that MAY be yet another form of the rabies-causing virus.)

All of the known similar viruses that cause rabies are members of the non-segmented, negative-stranded genomes & are members of the "bullet-shaped" group of viruses called: Rhabdoviridae.

NOTE: Once the patient starts exhibiting symptoms of the disease, it is almost always fatal = There a a total of SIX known patients, who have survived the actual disease. All of those patients were treated using "The Milwaukee Protocol".

yours, satx

Yes I gathered most of that from the CDC too, but, which genus where you referring to?

Fwiw, there is a "form" of rabies that doesn't exhibit "the usual appearance" of rabies.

Are the symptoms different or are you talking about a latency period?

Also, is this "form" found in the USA?

Has it been detected in raccoons or squirrels?

 

[satx78247]

YES, the symptoms of the two forms are very different. = Until the victim is bitten or scratched, the carrier of "the dumb form" may exhibit few or NO obvious symptoms, other than a "certain unsteadiness, shortly before death occurs" upon their feet/paws.
(4 of the 6 survivors of the disease were infected by mammals that had the "dumb or silent form". - In one of those cases, the infection likely occurred from the saliva, urine or feces of an infected bat, with "actual contact with those substances" in a cave more than a year before the symptoms manifested themselves. - The 6th patient MAY have contracted his illness from "hand to mouth contact" with saliva of an "unknown source".)

As to latency period, the USDA GUIDE TO DISEASES OF LIVESTOCK FOR FARMERS, RANCHERS & STOCKMEN that I consulted, the obvious symptoms (IF ANY) of the disease may appear in as little as 5 days up to more than 2 years.
(The book says that the exact progression from infection is "variable" & "possibly unknowable".)

Both the "furious" & "dumb" forms MAY occur in "household pets, wildlife & domestic livestock", Worldwide.
(The book does not say raccoons or squirrels, specifically.)

As to genus, I had to go dig out one of my DoD PAMs from USAREUR Vector Control School. - The genus of all the KNOWN viruses is: Lyssavirae.
(The USAREUR 10th MedLab/MEDDAC-PAM indicates that it is POSSIBLE that there may be other tropical viruses that can cause rabies or "a similar & equally deadly disease", that are "are believed to have been contracted" from exposure to the body fluids of reptiles, birds & insects, as well as mammals.)

Fwiw, I'm neither a health professional nor a scientist, so I consulted the few sources that I had at hand.

yours, satx

 

[coloradoclyde]

Thanks, no further questions.

I think we both agree, shoot first and diagnose later. :haha:

 

[Kansas Jake]

Rabies is very scary, that is why we keep the dog and cat up to date on their vaccinations. No point in taking a chance. Our cat is strictly a house cat, but that doesn't mean a mouse or other vermin couldn't get into the house and expose her.

 

[satx78247]

100& CORRECT. = The "silent form", that can even be spread by body fluids left on surfaces, is especially scary to me.
(Fwiw, I'm a TX Master Naturalist & I'm considering getting the vaccine against rabies, as all TMN "come in close contact with" various wildlife. - Remember, you need NOT be BITTEN to be exposed to the deadly virus.)

yours, satx

 

[sidelock]

Did this topic drift away?

 

[satx78247]

Topic drift? NOPE.

Instead the thread took an entirely different direction (after an important question was asked,) once the original topic seems to have been exhausted.

yours, satx

 

[coloradoclyde]

The rabies virus doesn't survive long below 70 degrees....So don't eat your squirrels raw. :haha:

 

[satx78247]

I think that I can easily comply with that advice.
(CHUCKLE)

yours, satx

 

[Rifleman1776]

Both the "furious" & "dumb" forms MAY occur in "household pets, wildlife & domestic livestock", Worldwide.
(The book does not say raccoons or squirrels, specifically.)

Raccoons are a common carrier of rabies. And, cattle are often victims of transmission from raccoons. This is because cattle are curious creatures. If they see a weakened raccoon they will investigate and, unfortunately, often get bitten and catching the disease. When I had cattle my rule was anytime I saw a raccoon or skunk in the daytime I shot it and removed wearing rubber gloves.

 

[satx78247]

GOOD PLAN, imVho.

Also, grazing/licking on ground/plants that an infected animal has left bodily fluids upon MAY expose the livestock/persons to the virus.

"Passive transmission", as well as the danger of being bitten/scratched, is why numerous TX Master Naturalists are considering getting vaccinated against rabies, as we sometimes handle wildlife.
(For example, our Small Mammal Surveys require TMN to trap, weigh, measure, computer chip, record & release the native mammals back into the environment.)

Note: During these surveys, the invasive species are removed from the capture area.

yours, satx

 

[Loyalist Dave]

We had a rabid canine in a public park area in the 1990's, and what folks forgot was that although nobody had been bitten, the dog's paws were raw and he licked them heavily. Then when he appeared at a daycare center, although he didn't bite a child, he did scratch the child as the child escaped through a door that closed behind him....

..., I showed up and the dog brought his fangs to a gunfight..., which was impressive since it took 11 body hits from a 9mm to put him down (he was moving the entire time) and the last three rounds I concentrated on his hips which broke. Rabies can really "juice up" an animal and they can take a lot of damage. :shocked2:

The family almost didn't take the kid to see the doctor since he hadn't been "bitten". I spotted the dog's cracked and bleeding paws, and animal control officers then convinced the family to immediately take the kid to a doctor. It was sorta close, but the kid made it.

LD

 

[satx78247]

GOOD. - Fresh saliva is a KNOWN hazard, when it comes to rabies transmission.

yours, satx