[ Post a Response | Zebra Mania Message Board ]
Posted by Sue Tx
on 9/15/2009, 10:30 pm, in reply to "Re: zebra in the news"
68.94.174.148
I hope the fact that the girl is getting shots means that the zebra was not put down and its brain tested. Of course this should not be considered an "unprovoked" bite- which is one of the factors considered in being suspicious of rabies. The likelihood is small but a sick bat can end up anywhere open to the outside and infect another animal. However, the zebra would be exhibiting other nuerological symptoms. Equines usually get what is termed as "dumb" rabies- not the rage that we associate with rabies that makes a sick animal attack anything that moves. And before the zebra could be infectious (i.e.:have rabies virus in its saliva) it would have looked and acted sick. You wouldn't necessarily think it had rabies, but you would know it wasn't right. I think I would ask alot of questions before I loaded up my child with rabies vaccine. (Plus there has been a shortage of it this year.)
I'm sure the zebra was just responding to having something in its mouth-How could it know it wasn't food? I think zebras in petting zoos without a handler right at its side is a big mistake for everybody. Including the zebra!
(Sorry for the rant. Retire Public Health Microbiologist here. Used to do a lot of rabies testing and talking to scared public.)
Message Thread:
« Back to thread
( Message Board first page) zebramania webscribe