Best practices for nuisance wildlife control operators in New York State

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Ch 4: Section four: What you need to know about wildlife diseases

Rabies

What your customers may want to know

1. How are they most likely to encounter rabies? Through an unvaccinated pet, the most common link between rabid wildlife and people. Even indoor cats should be vaccinated because if an infected bat gets inside, the cat will probably chase it. If the bat's sick, the cat has a better chance of catching it and being exposed.
    
2. A nocturnal animal that's active during the day is not necessarily rabid. Healthy female raccoons, for example, sometimes feed during the day, especially during the spring, when they're nursing their young.
    
3. A shabby-looking animal is not necessarily rabid. Could be a nursing female. The young will sometimes pull at her fur as they feed.
    
4. As with other diseases, exposure to the virus does not automatically mean that you are going to get the disease. But there is no way to test or tell whether or not you were infected, and only post-exposure vaccination will prevent rabies from developing.
    
5. Antibiotics will not treat rabies because the disease is caused by a virus. Antibiotics are used to kill bacteria.

Next Section (What to expect from the rabies lab in Albany)