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rabbit flu


Mungler
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yup, a guy less than 5 miles from me! just outside of stowmarket. they expect it got in to the blood stream as he had a blister on one of his fingers.

 

very worrying considering i lamp alot and as i am a carpenter i have loadz of cuts from saw etc!! shall prob start wearing gloves i think!! :friends:

 

FG.22

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Saw this article today, and thought anyone handling animals should know about this.

 

Young farmer killed by rabbit flu

 

It is very rare for humans to catch the flu from rabbits

- Search: More on rabbit flu

 

A young farmer has died in what is believed to be Britain's first case of rabbit flu.

 

John Freeman, 29, became infected with the bacteria pasteurella multocida after picking up a rabbit on his farm.

 

His mother Joan said he fell ill the next day with a fever and died three days later.

 

A post-mortem revealed that Mr Freeman had died from septicaemia after becoming infected with the bacteria that causes pasteurellosis, which is known as rabbit flu.

 

A spokesman for the Heath Protection Agency said the bacteria was known to be common among many domestic animals, including cats and dogs, but he was not aware of any other fatal rabbit-to-human transmission.

 

He said there were only a handful of cases of humans being infected with pasteurella multocida each year, usually from dogs and cats, and deaths were very rare.

 

Mrs Freeman, who farms with her husband Peter at Aspall, near Stowmarket in Suffolk, said she was shocked that there was so little information about the disease among the farming community.

 

She wants to make people aware that handling dead rabbits can be potentially fatal.

 

She said: "People should just be aware that there is this dreadful thing around and potentially its lethal. Once it is in the blood stream, that's it."

 

Mr Freeman, the couple's only son, died on August 5 - four days after falling ill.

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After reading a few more articles it seems that cats and dogs are common carriers of it and it's not limited to rabbits. I would guess that the farmer that died just got really unlucky. Maybe for peace of mind though, gloves wouln't be a bad idea ? I'll certainly make sure my lad wears them in future.

 

Professor Sheila Crispin, president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, said that he had been very unfortunate. “The disease can kill off rabbits fairly quickly, but there’s no particular risk to other animals. There’s no mention in our veterinary textbooks of risk to humans. This young man has been very unfortunate.â€

 

Freda Scott-Park, president of the British Veterinary Association, added that because of its rarity doctors would not necessarily know what to look for. She said that, if someone had been bitten by a dog or cat, then GPs should be aware of the potential risk.

 

The Health Protection Agency said that there were only a handful of cases of humans being infected with Pasteurella multocida, usually from cats and dogs, each year and that deaths were very rare. A spokesman added: “It is a treatable disease if it’s caught soon enough and antibiotics can clear it up.

 

“However, it is when the infection travels to the blood that it can be fatal. It is extremely rare for people to get it and even more so for them to die from it.â€

 

A case of the snuffles

 

 

Pasteurella multocida is named after Louis Pasteur

 

It is believed to be present in up to 75 per cent of cats, 50 per cent of dogs and 10 per cent of rabbits

 

It is most likely to occur in animals under stress, for example if they are being transported

 

Symptoms in animals include nasal discharges, sneezing, conjunctivitis, clogged tear ducts and abscesses

 

If a human is infected with the bacterium a course of antibiotics can kill it if diagnosed quickly. Symptoms include fever, rashes and other flu-like indications

 

 

Cheers,

 

Jim.

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If you shoot a slow animal or if it appears to have a slight discharge from the eyes or nose, usually a dark streak in the fur below.

Use a stick and flip it into the hedge for charlie.

There's plenty of conies around so you can afford to pick those that are just coming on full grown for eating :)

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Also heard that anti's have been calling the parents up and saying its the bunny's revenge, serves them right etc. Not pleasant really, i wont be wearing gloves and i live 2 mins away from stowmarket, ill take my chances, shot 100's of rabbits, ferreted live ones etc and im still ok.

 

Well i think so anyway. :lol:

 

Still rather worrying though

 

Alex

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Guest AP1shooter

SICK animal rights activists have targeted the parents of Britain’s first known human victim of “rabbit fluâ€.

 

Telephone callers have tormented the family of John Freeman telling them his death was a “rabbit’s revengeâ€.

 

Mr Freeman, 29, died after becoming infected with the bacteria pasteurella multocida after picking up a rabbit on his farm.

 

He fell ill the next day with a fever and died three days later.

 

His parents Joan and Peter Freeman, who farm at Aspall, near Stowmarket in Suffolk, spoke out following their son’s death to appeal for greater awareness of the bacterium that caused his death.

 

But the couple were horrified when anti-hunting extremists telephoned them within days of their son’s funeral and implied their son deserved to die.

 

Mrs Freeman told a newspaper that on the day they spoke out, extremists had telephoned to tell her that the couple’s only child had been “POPPING OFF RABBITS FOR FUNâ€.

 

In a separate call, Mr Freeman was told that the death might be “rabbit’s revengeâ€.

 

The couple went to a relative’s house to escape the ringing telephone.

 

“They were implying that my son deserved to die,†Mrs Freeman said. “I just can’t understand how people can be so callous. To ring someone up who is devastated with grief - it is disgusting.â€

 

John Freeman’s parents said their son had been a conservationist.

 

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency said the bacteria was known to be common among many domestic animals, including cats and dogs, but he was not ware of any other fatal rabbit-to-human transmission.

 

Mrs Freeman said she believed the bacteria passed into her son’s blood stream via a blister he had on his thumb. Mr Freeman died on August 5 - four days after falling ill.

 

The League Against Cruel Sports has described the telephone calls as completely unacceptableâ€.

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