| Skybird |
11-03-24 10:29 AM |
Tree squirrels do not carry rabies, they are no predatory species, and if they get bitten by an infected predator they would not survive it even if they escape the attack, the injury would kill them by secondary infections due to their small size. For exmaple, cat bites are practically always lethal for squirrels even if they survive the intial attack. In Germany, Europe and the USA, there is not a single documented case of a squirrel bite or scratch causing rabies in a human. And this although the US has I think half a dozen different tree squirrel species, Germany and Europe just one.
There is no example for a documented case of a squirrel with rabies. NOWHERE EVER.
In Germany and most parts of Europe there are even recommendations by the national health authorities, to never vaccinate against rabies after a squirrel bite (which is possible within a certain time frame), as the risks of vaccination clearly outweigh the benefits - since there are no benefits (after squirrel bites).
Squirrels can transmit some diseases and parasites to humans, but this is very, very rare. Some of them can become dangerous, but that is much rarer. Personally, I would be much more concerned about contact with rabbits, hares or wild birds.
The authorities' actions were hysterical bollocks and now they are trying to talk their way out of it.
Racoons are something different. Rabies in wildlife can be successfully fought and broght to nil, Germany proved it with its totally infested fox population during the 70s and 80s. All German foxes today and all of German ground-living animals are free of rabies today, since 20+ years. The method was not even hunting them down, but vaccination by bait laying.
I would wish political and ideological rabies could be fought by vaccinated bait laying, too.
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