So I am sitting at the bar....

[Raven]

Originally Posted by EarnedStripes44

A woman killed a rabid raccoon with her bare hands after it attacked a toddler on the south shore. They are both undergoing treatment.

for every one strange story like this....of a single rabid racoon that went ape%$%$%$%$...

probably 2000- 5000 racoons get run down, run over on purpose because the driver steers towards them instead of avoiding them chuckling to his buddies 2 points (bump bump) for the rabid racoon... and mind you i'm not against killing them either because they are or can be a real nuisance and pest
especially when it comes to hen houses or other gamebird enclosures.

i just think the news sensationalizes the story a bit and increases the hysteria and or paranoia times ten.

[Newboater]

Yupper - bats are nasty. This one was flying around my computer room.

Lee

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by Newboater

Yupper - bats are nasty. This one was flying around my computer room.

Lee

Rats with wings.

[FishermanTim]

Now this may be a reach, but If rabies were able to be carried from animal to animal by insect bites. (Think: How do animals initially contact rabies? I know it will be passed from animal to animal, probably from shared food, but it has to start somewhere!)
If mosquitos or ticks were ale to transmit the disease, then bats could contract it.
I'm just thinking out loud.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Now this may be a reach, but If rabies were able to be carried from animal to animal by insect bites. (Think: How do animals initially contact rabies? I know it will be passed from animal to animal, probably from shared food, but it has to start somewhere!)
If mosquitos or ticks were ale to transmit the disease, then bats could contract it.
I'm just thinking out loud.

Only mammals can contract rabies, and only from the saliva of an infected animal.

[Raven]

BATS AND RABIES
As with most mammals, including dogs and cats, bats can carry the rabies virus, but it is estimated that the number is less than one percent. Rabid bats are rarely aggressive toward humans and usually die shortly after becoming infected. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there has never been a confirmed case of bat-transmitted rabies in the state.

[Squid kids Dad]

Whatever... They are still scary looking...

[FormerUser]

Originally Posted by Raven

BATS AND RABIES
As with most mammals, including dogs and cats, bats can carry the rabies virus, but it is estimated that the number is less than one percent. Rabid bats are rarely aggressive toward humans and usually die shortly after becoming infected. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there has never been a confirmed case of bat-transmitted rabies in the state.

Exactly.

It can't be stressed enough how beneficial bats are to the environment.Think about this:if everyone had a bat house with a dozen bats in their backyard there would little to no 'squitos which translates to no EEE,West Nile etc.

According to the CDC most rabies cases in the US are caused by bats but not from being attacked so to speak but because the person infected handled the infected bat.At the same time according to the CDC bats have the smallest percentage of rabies of any mammal.
Simply put...don't touch the bat and you won't get rabies.

Btw bats are not rodents.No relation to rats,squirrels or bunnies.