Can Internet celebrity pets cause rabies?

Animals can carry a variety of pathogens, and wild animals often carry more, including Pasteurella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and anaerobic bacteria, among which rabies virus is one.

Many niche pets are originally wild animals, some of which are endangered and protected by the state. It may be illegal for individuals to keep them.

In addition to dogs, these animals can also spread rabies. In recent years, with the increase in the number of people living alone or in empty nests, pet companionship has gradually become a new type of emotional sustenance. At the same time, the huge pet market is differentiating into a niche "exotic pet circle" to meet more alternative and novel pet-raising experiences, such as lizards native to the Australian desert, milky white African mini hedgehogs, and otters that have become popular on the Internet for their "hands raised" photos.

In daily life, people are often scratched or bitten by pets. Pets can also be the medium for the spread of many infectious diseases. Rabies is an acute infectious disease that is common to both humans and animals. It can be transmitted through wounds from sick animals. Once the disease occurs, the mortality rate is nearly 100%. In addition to dogs, what other animals can spread rabies? Will those emerging internet celebrity pets spread rabies?

According to the current risk of animal transmission of rabies in my country, we divide injured animals into high-risk, low-risk and no-risk. Injuries by domestic or stray dogs or cats, bats, stray or wild mammals (especially carnivorous mammals) have a high risk of transmitting rabies, and corresponding rabies post-exposure prophylaxis must be carried out as required after the injury.

Animals with low risk of rabies transmission include livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs, and lagomorphs and rodents such as rabbits and mice.

All animals other than mammals, such as turtles, fish, birds, etc., can be considered as risk-free animals that do not transmit rabies.

To prevent the spread of rabies, you must be alert to other diseases and be injured by low-risk or no-risk animals. Although the possibility of contracting rabies is basically zero, you must guard against infection with other diseases, such as tetanus.

Animal-induced injuries are all high-risk exposures for tetanus. The causative agent of tetanus, Clostridium tetani, is widely present in the environment and can be carried in the mouths, claws, and fur of animals. It can invade the human body through breaks in the skin or mucous membranes. In a local hypoxic environment, the bacteria multiply and secrete toxins. Tetanus toxin is one of the most toxic toxins known in nature. Even a small wound may cause tetanus infection, and a very small amount of toxin can make a person sick. The mortality rate of tetanus worldwide is 30% to 50%. If patients with severe tetanus are not treated, the mortality rate is almost 100%. However, after being bitten by an animal, people often tend to neglect the prevention of tetanus because the wound is minor.

Animals can carry a variety of pathogens, and wild animals often carry more, including Pasteurella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and anaerobic bacteria, among which rabies virus is one. The article "Analysis of Rabies Host Species and Regional Distribution of Wildlife in China" points out: "The main species of wild animal rabies in China are ferret badgers, bats, raccoon dogs, wolves, and foxes. In the northeast and northwest, wolves, bats, foxes, and raccoon dogs are the main species; in the south, bats are the main species; and in the southeast, ferret badgers are the main species."

Civilized pet raising reduces animal-related injuries. It is common to see people walking their dogs without a leash and pets urinating and defecating anywhere. News reports over the years have also often reported incidents of pets injuring people, ranging from minor skin injuries to serious bites. Pet-related injuries have become a common risk of injury in the daily lives of the public.

On May 1, 2021, the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law of the People's Republic of China officially came into effect. Article 30 of the law stipulates: "Entities and individuals who keep dogs shall be vaccinated against rabies regularly in accordance with regulations, and apply for registration with the local dog registration authority with the immunization certificate issued by the animal clinic. When taking dogs out of the house, they shall wear dog tags and take measures such as leashing dogs in accordance with regulations to prevent dogs from injuring people and spreading diseases."

Relevant data show that 70% of animal diseases can be transmitted to humans, and 75% of new human infectious diseases originate from animals. Statistics released on the official website of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that 95% of rabies cases in China are caused by sick dogs, followed by cats. Being bitten, scratched, or licked by a rabid animal can lead to infection with the rabies virus.

Think twice before raising niche pets. Due to curiosity and the hype of Internet celebrity pets, many people have bought and raised niche pets, but there are many problems. Many niche pets were originally wild animals, even endangered wild animals protected by the state. Individuals may abandon or improperly raise them, resulting in the death of the animals, which may be illegal.

For example, otters are popular online. Although many merchants selling otters claim that they have otter breeding licenses and that it is not illegal to keep them at home, the sources of otters for sale are mostly smuggled, and wild otters are second-level protected animals, so it is not legal for individuals to keep them at home in China. This has also put great pressure on the protection of otter populations.