Bottom line: the strain in AZ does NOT show casual transmission.
I have heard back from the Dr. Craig Levy, who is working with the
this strain of rabies that is present in AZ and the transmission is
NOT casual.
They will be contacting Nat Geo about that huge error.
It is always interesting to follow when a strain becomes efficient (his
word) in a new host, and that is going on, but -- again -- the strain
is NOT being passed casually.
He emphasized that it is very important for people in that region to
vaccinate against rabies. Take that to heart, please.
--- In [log in to unmask], "Sukie Crandall" <sukie@...> wrote:
>Although it is unusual to leave all previous text attached to an
>article in this case it may be important to do so.
>
>The Nat Geo piece credits:
> http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no08/05-1526.htm
>as the source for "passive transmission" but no such statement appears
>to be present in the article. I am wondering if they also found that
>some animals had dumb rabies and confused infection from such an
>individual with passive or casual transmission because of the lack of
>aggression.
>
>It is always interesting to following an emerging strain and watch its
>evolution. What I can't find is why they wrote "casual" in relation to
>the transmission.
>--- In [log in to unmask], Sukie Crandall <sukie@> wrote:
>
>...leads to a need for more research to know how casually or not
>"casual" was used.
>
> <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090504-rabies-evolution.html>
>
>It's a danged fine reason to be sure to vaccinate there while more is
>learned.
>
>They say relatives but NOT the relationship. Is it lateral/ horizontal
>(like sib to sib) or can it be passed in birth process or in utero
>(vertical transmission)? Kits bite each other in play (a form of
>lateral transmission that does involve saliva). Mothers groom kits,
>including their injuries and eyes. Kits of many species of Carnivora
>lick the inside of their mothers' mouths to find out what they have
>been eating. So, the transmission does NOT have to have been casual.
>You don't NEED a bite to transmit rabies. You need infected fluids --
>such as saliva -- to get into an eye or into an open wound anywhere
>so a mouth sore from previously eating a bit of bone will do, as will
>a nick from a sibling's bite. According to an old study that I have
>not followed up on for later research, some species get it by eating
>neurological tissue of infected animals. Ferrets and cats don't get it
>that way, but dogs do and foxes are closely related to dogs. Such a
>shared meal could possibly infect a family.
>
> <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090504-rabies-evolution.html>
>
>The CDC has not put it in their website news highlights:
> http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/news/
>
>Related:
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19395748
>
>It may be this one which has been followed somewhat since 2001:
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16965714
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12494966
>
>This has also been done with raccoons in the U.S. and foxes in Europe:
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19204355
>
> http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/39/3/746
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12038143
>
> http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/38/2/428
>In the news (See dates on articles):
> http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=11385
>
> http://sahuaritasun.com/articles/2009/05/01/breaking_news/00rabies503.txt
>
> http://campverdebugleonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=22906
>
> http://williamsnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=8748
>
> and
>
> http://www.lifesourcebiomedical.com/new-rabies-virus-evolving-quickly/
>
>So, there is a lot more that needs to be known before anyone panics,
>and a lot more to known before the word "casual" can be used casually,
>but people in that area want to be extra sure to vaccinate and this
>one bears watching and more research to better understand the
>behavior of the virus. It's good to know about, good to take
>precautions about, but not a reason to panic at this stage of
>information.
>
>Meanwhile, people should also monitor the CDC rabies site
>periodically, which is always a good practice, anyway. Also,
>certainly, vaccinate.
>Bottom Line: Rabies types/strains have been transmitted between
>species before, and I have NOT found a study reference which itself
>refers to this as involving "casual" transmission. So far I can't
>find where the beginning of the use of the term "casual" in
>relation to this strain began. Obviously, there is an origin, but
>without finding it and reading more it is impossible to assess just
>why the term was used or even if it was a good vocabulary choice.
>
>People are usually exposed to rabies due to UNvaccinated pets, and
>the most common strains affecting humans in the U.S. are usually bat
>strains.
>
>So, I am trying the next logical thing and have a request in with the
>relevant State Public Health Veterinarian in Arizona to try to find
>out just what "casual" means in this context, and if it has been used
>appropriately. Hopefully, she or one of her experts will have the
>time to send a reply I can share with you. If that does not pan out
>I'll ask at the CDC and hope that they have enough time to clarify
>and say if that word was used at all appropriately, but they also
>don't always have spare time, the same as all other busy
>professionals.
>
>So, I don't know if the vocabulary use made sense or if this is like
>when that elephant relative mandible wound up all over the news as
>a confiscated "Triceratops" jaw simply because someone asked an
>archeologist instead of a paleontologist, appalling anyone who knew
>their bones...
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Posted in FML 6332]
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