should I worry about Racoon living near house?

SkyPup · Mar 25, 2005

There is absolutley no death more horrible than rabies.

When I used to teach Pathogenic Microbiology in veterinary school to veterinary students, I had a film from the World Health Organization that showed two brothers in Tehran, Iran who had been bitten by their mother who was rabid. The film showed the two brothers locked up in a jail cell as the virus took over their bodies. Let me tell you, it was the most god awful horrible documentary film you could ever even dream of seeing, no horror movie could come close to scaring the living daylights out of you like seeing someone actually die of rabies virus. This is no joke, I repeat -> NO JOKE.

Bird · Mar 25, 2005

I would want to be cautious myself of rabies, but for several years my brother and his wife bought 50# sacks of "deer corn" and threw out half a coffee can full each day. And his wife bought the old loaves of bread from the thrifty bakery store every week and put out 7 to 10 loaves every evening. So they had a dozen coons (give or take a couple) around their patio every evening just as it got dark. Some of them were even taking the bread out of her hands. They never had a problem with them, but I do sometimes wonder how things went for the city folks who bought the place from them about 4 years ago. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif The folks who bought did have a Great Dane, so maybe he ran off the coons.

texbaylea · Mar 25, 2005

Skypup

I read recently of a young girl in the US that was supposed to have survived rabies after some new treatment. Was this accurate? Sorry I cannot find the reference. I recently, December 04, had the rabies vaccine because of a cat bite from a cat with little history who disappeared.

Vernon

isucrazy · Mar 25, 2005

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Bad day ta be a coon around there! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

SkyPup · Mar 25, 2005

In actuality, there are six rare documentated human survivors of rabies who received post infection prophylaxis, six extremely fortunate and lucky humans indeed. You do NOT want to become the 7th..... see below

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/natural_history/nathist.htm

"Rabies is a fatal disease in humans, and, to date, the only survivors of the disease have received rabies vaccine before the onset of illness":

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/professional/ publications/miscellaneous/management.pdf

SCB · Mar 25, 2005

We have lots of racoons up here in the northwest. There are a few that are frequent around my place. If you don't want them around, don't leave food out for your other animals. They are opportunistic and will generally stay where the easiest food is. Over the years, I have gotten a few to eat out of my hand. They seem to like Graham Crackers the best up here. The females can get a bit touchy about their young and become quite mean. When my daughter was about 1 year old, I had one living in a tree in my front yard. I didn't take any chances with my curious daughter and shot the racoon the same day that I saw it. Other than that, I like the little guys.

ByronBob · Mar 28, 2005

Eliminate.

Freds · Mar 28, 2005

I thought I had read a report recently on a human surviving being bit by a rabid animal, too. I may still have it on one of my PCs.

I'm surprised to read that an animal can carry the virus with no outward signs, is this forever? I knew it was in early stages anyway, but I thought Rabies could only be transmitted in the last stage of the virus, which is why the 10 day quarrantine period for house pets that have bitten someone. They will die in 10 days if they have Rabies present in their saliva and you know their victim would have been given it.

That's what I thought anyway...

Tractors4u · Mar 28, 2005

I had heard something recently about a girl surviving rabies but the only thing I found was this story from November 2004.

Rabies Survivor

This is the story that has been reported recently. She was released from the hospital in January and has just recently returned to school.

Updated Story

Cactus · Mar 28, 2005

( NO HUMAN has ever survived an infection with rabies, NO ONE )

I thought I heard something about a month ago where someone had survived rabies by a medical experiment where the infected person was put in an induced coma. I know I heard something about this and I thought it was successful.
( Please correct me if I am wrong)