Re: Speaking of bunnies (Man-eating Rabbits, Bats & Rabies))


Steve McDonald wrote:

> Vampire Bats live only in a part of So. America and weigh only
> about 2 ounces or less. They feed mostly on the blood of cattle and
> other large grazing animals as they sleep at night. They often land
> close to a reclining host and make sure it isn't going to move, before
> they carefully crawl up to a feeding position. It's very unlikely one
> would ever have a go at a Human.

This is incorrect. There are 3 species of vampire bats, all
neotropical (New World tropics). The range of the most common,
Desmodus rotundus, extends the furthest and goes far into northern
Mexico. Various species specialize a bit; one feeds mainly on birds.
Your comments about large grazing animals applies primarily to Desmodus
rotundus, again. It does bite humans, and not all that rarely. It
does not wait for or look for reclining animals. It will feed on
standing cattle, horses, etc. They are quite agile, and are amazing
to watch - and even scarier to handle.

> Bats are the main carriers of rabies,

Absolutely false. You need to get better information. Here in the US
skunks, foxes, raccoons, etc. are the major vectors of rabies.

>although transmission to
> people is rare. Typically, when it happens, a dog or cat will catch an
> infected bat, contract rabies from it and then pass it on to its human
> friends.

Wrong again. Cats and dogs get it mainly from foxes, skunks, raccoons,
etc.

> If a bat struck my bare skin and caused a wound, I'd report in
> immediately for my Rabies Immune Globulin shot and start a series of
> Rabies Innoculation shots. If the bat was killed and could be
> recovered, the local Health Dept. could have it tested for rabies and
> the shots could be avoided, if it came up negative. However, I'd
> probably want to get the globulin shot, at least, even before the test
> results were available, as it gives about 2 weeks of quick immunity and
> should clear out any rabies virus that's already in your body.

Wrong again. The rabies series goes through cycles, but it is not an
'Immune Globulin' shot. I suspect you meant 'immunoglobulin' which is
fractionated blood used to deliver, usually, antibodies. Since very
few people have a high enough concentration of rabies antibodies in
their blood it would be quite difficult to have an immunoglobulin in
stock that was effective against rabies virus. The rabies series is a
vaccine of deactivated virus particles to stimulate your body to
produce antibodies.

> The closer to your head a rabies-infected wound is located, the
> more quickly the virus will move along nerves to your brain. At that
> point, it goes into the active stage, and becomes incurable. You can
> also catch it from infected animal saliva that gets into your eyes, nose
> or mouth. Some people have caught it from the mist floating around in a
> bat-roosting cave.

Aerosol transmission is quite rare, and the most notable case was a
rabies researcher that accidentally misted himself with a concentrated
dose of the virus.

> The full innoculation series of either 3 or 5 shots, gives about 3
> years of immunity. There's a 3-shot series for pre-exposure immunity
> and a 5-shot series for people who have been exposed, in addition to the
> globulin shot that is given for more immediate immunity. In the past 10
> years, in my state, there's been only 5 cases of rabid animals
> confirmed. This doesn't mean that there aren't more out there in the
> wild, that are infected and die without coming to our attention. Not
> all rabid animals become vicious or aggressive. Many of them shrink
> away from contact and become lethargic.

The innoculation series is dependent on which vaccine is used. Duck
serum is a much larger series, but some folks quickly show allergic
reaction to the serum. The human tissue derived vaccine is less
problematic in that sense, but there is a greater risk of autoimmune
reaction.


> One time, at dusk, I was pedaling full speed down a moderately steep
> slope on a rural road. I was hitting about 35-38 mph and bounced
> several Little Brown Bats off my chest and head. I was wearing a shirt
> and hat and no skin was broken. These bats just weren't used to
> something with so small a sonar signature, that was going that fast on
> the ground, so they didn't dodge in time. I take that stretch much more
> slowly now, if it's feeding time for the bats.

I bet you were hitting something other than bats. I have been in caves
with tens of thousands, and more, bats and it is amazing how adept they
are at missing objects.

- rick

.

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