A Case for
Rabies
By Dr. Heidi Terwey &
Dr. Whitney Ostrem
Fact:
In 2006, there were 6,393 cases of rabies in wild animals, including
bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes and rodents.
In 2008, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)
released updated vaccination guidelines for our horses. Included
in this was a movement of the Rabies vaccination from the elective
vaccines to the core vaccine category. The association defines the
core vaccines as those: "that protect from diseases that are endemic to
a region, those with potential public health significance, required by
law, virulent/highly infectious, and /or those posing a risk of severe
disease. Core vaccines have clearly demonstrated efficacy and
safety, and thus exhibit a high enough level of patient benefit and low
enough level of risk to justify their use in the majority of patients."
Rabies, once contracted is 100%
fatal. It is most often contracted in horses from wild animal
bites on the muzzle, as horses can be curious creatures. The main
concern is that horses can transmit the disease to humans, via saliva in
an open sore, which poses a public health concern. Post exposure
treatments in humans include a series of injections, which are painful
and costly.
Thinking of how
often you put your hands into your horse's mouth, feeding them treats,
bridling them, it makes sense to have both your horse and yourself
protected by vaccinating for Rabies. The cost of the vaccine is
very inexpensive and it only needs to be boostered annually.
Next time you think of buying your horse new tack, a new brush, or
another bag of treats, you may first choose to make sure that they are
fully protected medically from a devastating disease such as rabies.
