Xref: utzoo sci.bio:1223 sci.misc:1699 misc.consumers.house:2455 rec.gardens:901
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!mit-amt!mit-caf!herb
From: herb@mit-caf.UUCP (Herbert Neuhaus)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.misc,misc.consumers.house,rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Re: Bug zappers
Summary: bats don't carry rabies
Message-ID: <1029@mit-caf.UUCP>
Date: 9 Jun 88 20:45:03 GMT
References: <1737@homxb.UUCP> <1020@ih1ap.ATT.COM> <3131@ut-emx.UUCP>
Reply-To: herb@mit-caf.UUCP (Herbert Neuhaus)
Organization: Microsystems Technology Laboratory, MIT
Lines: 12

Sorry, but you have been lied to.  Bats don't carry rabies.  Of course,
any mammal, including bats, can contract rabies.  In order for an animal
to be a "carrier" it must be relatively immune from the disease, otherwise
they die.  Bats die from rabies, they don't carry it.

The origin of this myth is interesting.  It dates back to an old study
done on rabies transmission.  The researchers found a group of bats which
had a disease which could be transmitted to mice.  This disease is fatal to
mice, and was mis-diagnosed as rabies.  The bats were thought to be carriers
because they did not get sick from this disease.  However, people are not 
affected by it either.  It wasn't rabies.

The bottom line is that some bats ARE carriers of a disease fatal to mice.