Homestead mailing list

["roxann" <roxann AT ancientearthwisdom.com>]

Lynda,

I wonder if these statistics are run based only on the amount of foxes turned 
in for testing, or is it a random selection of the wild population? Fox, 
coon, skunk, bat are all carriers and can have the virus without displaying 
symptoms. Does the animal need to be 'rabid' as in, mad, to be contagious? I 
thought not. So if a fox had bitten me, whether it appeared to be diseased or 
not, I'd be inclined to get the shots anyway. AFter that, will the shots 
confer a lifetime immunity to subsequent exposures? Out here, our most 
probably method of contracting rabies would be from domestic animals who have 
been bitten by the wild animals. If a domestic animal does not show symptoms 
within 10 days or so, after I was bitten, perhaps I would not go through the 
shots because the likelihood of getting rabies from that bite would be 
greatly diminished. At least there you have a canary to watch and base a 
decision on. Still, it seems that a debt of $2000 would be a lesser burden on 
my system than the stress of wondering how it will all turn out with the 
gamble of not getting the shots.

Roxann, NW AR
http://blog.ancientearthwisdom.com (Ozark Musings from the homestead)