Once again bats have been associated with rabies. I have just watched the news at 1 . There is a confirmed case of a man with rabies in scotland. He was a bat conservationist and was bitten by a bat. They say there is no risk to the general public only to those who work with them. All I can say is "Mark I hope that you are wearing your gloves!"
mark beware
I dont wear gloves when handling bats and dont think I will until the risk is greater. Must find out more just now
thanks for that Mark. What are your feelings on this?Do you think it will affect your working methods in the future? I suppose the sad fact is that stories like this does not help the bats cause, and makes your work all the more important.
it might just be an isolated case. time will tell.
I have my Rabies shots
Apart from serotines LOL
EN have forwarded a BCT statement to me about this incident, basically saying for batworkers to have the jabs they're entitled to and that there's no danger to the general public - only people who handle bats, and then only if they're actually bitten. At the time their statement went out this case was still unconfirmed.
I don't wear gloves for the bats in this country either (apart from the serotines :)
but jabs are up to date!
Although many hundreds of bats have been tested for the virus in this country, only two have had a positive result.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2496311.stm
Wednesday, 20 November, 2002, 19:01 GMT Rabies tests prove negative
There are further tests to be done however
Thanks for that Philomel
just spoke to someone re the tests.
negative results are 50/50 - not accurate
positive results are 100% correct
mark & phi -
You guys have probably reiterated this a thousand time's here, but just for public service:
http://www.batcon.org/rabies.html
In short - stay off junglegyms.
thanks Lophophora ( can I ask what is Lophophora?)
here in the UK during the last 100 years only one person has died from Rabies and that was this year just a matter of weeks ago.
thankfully bats dont get agressive when they have Rabies like other mammals do. The chances of getting bitten by a Rabid bat in the US is 1 in 272,639,608 = .0000004% People are more likely to be win the Lottery.
( can I ask what is Lophophora?)
Apparently, one of phi's fearful serotonins...
:)
And according to the latest screaming headline, cellphone use while driving has jumped up into the top ten automotive killers in America.
So - kiss a few thousand bats, or answer the ring on the freeway once - your choice folks.
(Morbid *G*)
LOL LOphophora
They're succulents Mark http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&q=lophophora, but not as cute as Astriphytums ;) http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&q=astrophytum+myriostigma
Peyote (Mescal) is a hallucinogen. So THERE !
Absolutely Ulrich :)
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=peyote
As are so many plants used by shaman cultures from the year . to reach ecstatic trance states.
Remember the fly agaric thread?
BTW loved the pun on serotines/serotonins Loph ;)
Looking back at that thread - Rabbits, for one, are immune to toadstool poison.
I knew some small rodents are - didn't know about rabbits :)
Perhaps that was what took the chunk out of it........