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Re: [RC] rabies - DESERTRYDR1Exposure to saliva transmits rabies, so all of the other horses should be isolated if any of the bites broke the skin or if any of the horses had broken skin when attacked. In general rabies can only be transmitted when the animal is in the last several days before death. That's why they quarantine dogs that have bitten someone for ten days. If the dog has transmissible rabies, it will be dead before the ten days are up. Let me clarify here, the dog could have rabies and live longer than ten days, but if it bit someone before that last ten days, it wouldn't be infective. At least that's the conventional wisdom, Heidi or Susan g. please step in if I'm wrong. I work for a local health department, and part of our job is establishing quarantine for domestic species that are capable of transmitting rabies if they bite someone. There is a protocol for quarentining any potentially exposed (ie. bitten) animals, and then the rabies vaccine is given toward the end of the quarantine. Generally if the animal has had at least two rabies vaccines at the proper intervals, they are considered to have adequate immunity, however, they will probably still need to be quarantined for (I think) about six months, as that is how long it can take for the rabies to show symptoms, depending on where the animal was bitten. The closer to the brain, the shorter the incubation period. Any person who was exposed to saliva and had broken skin in the vicinity of the exposure should also have post exposure prophyllaxis, in other words, the series of rabies shots. The shots are very effective at preventing the disease, which is great because once it develops, you are dead. No IFS, ANDS or BUTS! If any of those horses are yours, you need to keep them isolated and observe them for the six month period. Not a disease to fool around with. jeri =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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