Bma Confirms No Case Of Rabies Virus Spread From Pet Rabbits To Humans

[Lite Beer]

BMA confirms no case of rabies virus spread from pet rabbits to humans

BANGKOK, 5 August 2012 (NNT) – The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has confirmed that there has been no spread of rabies virus from pet rabbits to humans.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Dr. Malinee Sukavejworakit revealed on Saturday that the BMA has checked and found that a pet rabbit has been infected with rabies virus.

The inspection was made following reports on an infected rabbit’s attack on humans.

Dr. Malinee conceded that the cause of rabies infection in the rabbit could not be verified and an initial assumption stated that the virus might originate from the rabbit itself due to its nature of caging and no history of being bitten by any dog or other animals.

She said that all related agencies will have a meeting on the issue again on Monday, August 6th to formulate safety and education programs for the public, which are also aimed to help calm down those who are worried about the alleged spread.

The Deputy Governor is confident that the BMA will have the situation under control, especially after rabies vaccination has been provided for the family which owns the troubled rabbit, and for more than 100 people living in the radius of 5 kilometers from this family, as well as some 20 pets of theirs.

She has assured that a close surveillance has been commenced while asking pet owners who suspect that their animals might be infected, to bring their pets to the nearest veterinarians as soon as possible.

-- NNT 2012-08-05

[aarn]

Male rabbits are often aggressive (testosterone-fuelled), and can attack their owners.

When I was a student (1980s), the dictum was 'all warm-blooded animals can carry rabies'. I never researched whether birds are also potential carriers.

Now going a bit off-topic:

The most common carriers of rabies are dogs (Bali currently has a big rabies problem, I saw rabid dogs in Cambo in '98), monkeys and bats.

The threat in Thailand is the snowballing street/beach-dog population. Rabies may become endemic here (particularly if it gets into the temple-monkeys) unless Thai authorities take prevention measures. Such could include:

discouraging farangs on holiday from adopting, then abandoning, puppies;

providing subsidies for dog-owners to vaccinate;

developing a dog-pound system to collect strays, then euthanase if no prospective owner came forward.

OK, I admit this is an anti-dog (I am a bicyclist) rant, but I trained and worked as a vet, then until a couple of years ago across Asia.

Rabies is an incipient, cruel disease in humans which is usually lethal, unless treated as soon as the animal bite occurs. AA

[noitom]

They are "confirming" no spread to humans. But they are speculating, assuming, projecting, conceding, and asking people to bring their pets if they suspect. They have "tracked" this rabbit, and they confirm no rabies biting history with other infected animals.

What did you expect them to say under the guidance of the TAT? They will have more meetings about this. They have provided rabies vaccinations to 100 people and 20 animals in the immediate vicinity of this infected rabbit. They are also assuring a close surveillance. If this works, the Thais could be the rabbit rabies cure hub of the world. This could be big business.