rabies and the killing of Chico
Unfortunately today 3/10/08 the Spokean, Washington murdered Chico a young java macaque to test for rabies - because he bite three people when he escaped his cage. This is a tragedy because there has not been one case of rabies in the pet trade since 1911 - and that was a case of a rabid dog biting a monkey who died. Dr Ned Buyukmichi of Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Texas offered to pay for expenses for rabies shots for all three victums, also to adopt and pay all transport fees to care for Chico and they did not want to do this. He and many others tried to get them to see medically it was not possible for them to have the rabies. Oklahoma State Health Dept even has a policy since 1977 of a 30 day rabies obsercation quarentine for captive exotic animals that bite a person and upon case investigation are determined to be a very low risk of rabies transmission. This policy became administrative law (Oklahoma Administrative Code Title 310, Chapter 599, Section 3-4) effective July 13, 2000. Since the institution of this policy in 1997, the Oklahoma State of Health has mandated a 30 day rabies quarantine for a total of eleven non human primates involved in bites to humans. All of these animals successfully completed the quarantine: no persons received rabies post exposure prophylaxis pending the outcome of the quarantine.
We all need to help stop these useless deaths in the future - call your legislature and request a simular policy in your state.
Remember this can happen to any exotic animals - no vaccine is recognized for any exotics and the same thing can happen to you ! ! !
We all need to help stop these useless deaths in the future - call your legislature and request a simular policy in your state.
Remember this can happen to any exotic animals - no vaccine is recognized for any exotics and the same thing can happen to you ! ! !
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