I too am a registered nurse as well as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and rabies vector species (RVS) are always a concern when coming in contact with them.
Before trapping animals, you should first check out who handles treatment for rabies exposure and have the necessary numbers to call at hand. When trapping RVS animals gloves should always be worn. If you are bitten, scratched or come in contact with saliva or blood from the animal in question, if possible, do not release it. Keeping the animal for testing may prevent you from having to undergo treatment should it prove to be negative for rabies. Immediately wash the area of contact with soap and water and apply an antiseptic.
Killing the animal is not necessary, animal control will pick up live, trapped animals. If you do decide to shoot the animal, don't shoot it in the head as that will destroy brain tissue for lab testing which is how rabies is determined. If you do kill the animal, use a chest shot and if necessary, wrap the animal well and put it in the fridge and not the freezer, freezing also destroys tissues for lab testing. Immediately call a local humane society for pickup or after hours, call 911 and request animal control services. You should then call the nearest E.R. or health department for further instructions. If the animal has escaped, it's imperative that you begin treatment asap.
Cats are the most frequent domestic animal presenting with rabies and care should be taken if trapping or handling feral or stray cats. Although any mammal can harbor the rabies virus, opossums seldom carry it as their body temperature is too low to support the virus. With the exception of ground hogs, rodents also seldom carry rabies because if they're bitten by larger mammals, they're typically killed and don't live long enough to become a carrier.
Depending on where you live, most RVS animals are as follows:
Skunks
Bats
Raccoons
Woodchuck (ground hog)
Fox
Sue
WLR
--- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, "sandi" <sandi_ruscetta@...> wrote:
>
> As a Nurse, and also having been involved with animal shelters , trappes for persons having problems with wild critters, these animals can carry rabies. It can also be inactive , but still be transmitted.
> Remember fluid in these animals can carry rabies, if the racoon or skunk has come in contact with a rabid animal.
>
> They are cute their antics are endearing, but, when, I look at them, I wonder potential rabies carrier.
>
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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