Re: OT:possums and rabies


From: "Donald Eaves" <donald@eastland.net>


Dennis writes:
> 
> They have been found in Calif to carry rabies, they are on the
> state list of carriers.
> 
From The National Opossum Society http://www.teleport.com/~opossums/

"Opossums are more resistant to rabies than any other mammal; cattle,
goats,
dogs, cats, sheep, and the ice cream man are far more susceptable to
rabies."

My earlier info (several years ago now) was obtained from the Texas Dept.
of
Health which tracks verified cases of rabies in wild and domestic animals. 
They
had none on record at the time as verified in opossums.  At the time, Texas
was
having a major rabies outbreak which was spreading.  Two neighboring
counties
next to mine had bobcat attacks on people, both rabid animals; both causing
severe injuries.  The grey fox was suffering in great numbers and was
attributed
with being the major carrier causing the spread of rabies in our state. 
There was
and is still an effort in our state to control the northward movement of
the epidemic.
Since I live in a rural area with much natural wildlife visiting daily in
my yard, it
behooved me to try to obtain realistic information so I could take a
rational approach
to the situation.  This was even more pressing since at the time I had a
family of
grey fox with pups actually spending time in my yard.  The conclusion of
the research
was quite simply that opossums posed, by far, the least danger in spreading
or
carrying rabies.

Not only that, they don't bother the irises at all, whereas the racoons
occasionally
dump potted plants (this year some of the Walter methods) and armadillos on

regular occasions totally root up plants.

Donald Eaves - I must apologize for the above.  I will lurk for the next
month as a
pennance!
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7 

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