Unpopular and Maligned Animals

[kannon]

Originally Posted by ButchEire

True, unless they are bit by an animal carrying rabies. Non-meat eating animals like squirrels, rabbits and bats that eat fruit or bugs are also not carriers. Because raccoons and possums scavenge scraps and eat meat, they have a higher incidence of carrying rabies.
ETA: Only because many people believe incorrectly that rats, etc., cannot get or give rabies: http://www.ratbehavior.org/DryBite.htm

They can, but the cases are rare.

"Rabies from rats is very rare and has never been documented in the United States. However, a handful of cases of rabies from a rat bite have been recorded in Poland (Zmudziñski and Smreczak 1995, described in Wincewicz 2002), Israel (Gdalevich et al. 2000), Thailand (Kamoltham et al. 2002) and Surinam (Verlinde et al 1975)."

I wonder if they were able to exclusively link the transmission of rabbies to the rats in Poland, Israel, etc.

I'll have to let my vet know he was wrong.