| Show ll t a i f r r f v 4 Jp f F 4 Mb t a I r I Health Dept says I Avoid Rodents The problem of oC protecting children and adults from the danger of handling wild rodents rodents rodents ro ro- ro- ro dents or bats was pointed up recently with the report of oC the finding of oC a bat in Davis County Coun t ty ly which was shown to have rabies NORMALLY human contact contact contact con con- tact with bats is quite rare Contact with squirrels wild rabbits and other such animals animals animals ani ani- mals is also rather unusual However if C these animals are ill or injured children may be beable beable beable able to approach them or even catch ci them and an may ma be exposed to diseases such as Tularemia Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever rabies and others Parents should warn children children children chil chil- dren that the they should be cautious cautious cautious cau cau- about handling such ani- ani ani ani- mals orals Contacts should be reported reported reported re re- ported to their parents or to the health department in the area where they live They should not attempt to handle them without specific Instructions Instructions instructions and in no case with their bare hands IF TilE THE ANIMALS arc ill or injured they probably will be irritable and frightened and their first defense is to bite This is a good way to transmit transmit trans trans- mit some of oC the diseases they carry Diseases can also be carried by bj the ticks fleas or I other insects that can easily I move from the animal to a a. a human who may be handling them Infection of or the diseases mentioned is quite widespread widespread widespread wide wide- spread throughout Utah and much of oC the country and the safe way to approach these wild rodents is to presume that they carry the disease and use due caution if contact is necessary The fact that relatively few human cases arc reported is an indication of the rarity of or direct contact and exposure to these diseases es yet the danger is present TilE THE INCIDENT involving the bat was a fortunate case casein casein casein in which the person was well informed regarding his own danger The bat was found on the lawn of oC the residence anc and was apparently injured or 01 ill Thinking it was injured to the extent it could not fly or even cven walk normally the individual planned to put it in a box until it was recovered and could fl fly away In the process of getting it into a box for safekeeping the bat hat bit the hand of oC its benefactor When the bat died dice several days later it was Ivas taken taken taken tak tak- en to the laboratory where it was found to be infected It is fortunate that immunization immunization immunization for rabies is available and is much less rigorous than it was in the past In the case mentioned above i it if is also fortunate that the animal involved in involved in- in was kept for laboratory examination |
