Don't Mow Over Rabbits!

[dmccarty]

Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

I just saw this on the web....

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared/health/ap/ap_story.html/Health/AP.V5603.AP-Rabbit-Fever.html

Three men came down with Rabbit fever aka tularemia after
one of them mowed over a rabbit nest killing some of the
critters. One man contracted the fever when he cleaned the
mower. Apparently you can get tularemia from the air after
the rabbits have been, well, mowed. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I'm sure this is very rare but who would have thought you
could catch a fever because one mowed over a critter?

The article does not have much information on what kind of
equipment the men where using.

FYI.
Dan

 

[SageBrush]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

Never mowed a rabbit before, that I know of. Lots of Voles have gone under the mower and popped out on the other side /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Alive...

In Georgia, the state/CDC is warning about pet parie dogs for some reason, before long every critter will pose a health threat /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[kensfarm]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

I noticed last night while bushhogging a field.. that there seems to be a lot more rabbits on the farm this year.. the foxes must be getting fat. One of the cats brought one squealing to the house this week.. I took it away and let it go.. washed my hands.. but that doesn't do anything to prevent inhaling those "toxic rabbit fumes".. guess I'll do my best not to grind them up.

 

[dmccarty]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

SageBrush,

The pet Prarie Dog warning is due to an outbreak of Monkey
Pox that had passed from the Monkeys to a Gambian Rat. The
rat was imported into the US and the Pox spread from the
rat to the Prarie Dogs. The pox then jumped into humans from
the infected dogs that had been purchased for pets.....

What fun. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif The outbreak was in the midwest I think and
a few people where exposed. Its not supposed to be deadly
though. But I don't want it! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I just never figured you could get Rabbit Fever from osterizing
a rabbit. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Later,
Dan

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

It is transmitted by flea bites, through infected food and water and by aerosol. Here's a link to the CDC

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/tularemia/faq.asp

Steve

 

[kubotasaurus]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

Funny you should mention this - I just mowed a rabbit a couple of weeks ago. I'm still fit and well so I guess it didn't have tularemia. Maybe that's because I didn't bother cleaning the deck though - I figured that with all the grass clippings flying around in there there was no point - the blood would and bits would just come off whenever I cleaned off the grass.

The young rabbits around here like to crouch down in the grass and freeze when you drive up. I often don't see them until it's too late. Usually on the next pass on an adjacent strip I find a bit of a rabbit with fresh blood and realize I've done it again.

 

[dmccarty]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

kubotasaurus,

I'm lucky, I don't think I have ever hit a rabbit.

<Insert Lucky Charm/Knock on Wood>

I did almost get a deer fawn once though. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif It jumped up
to run and hit the front right tractor tire, bounced off and
ran like heck. But a foot or so in either direction and it would
have been very, Very, VERY ugly. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Thankfully I was on a MF 35 mowing some really tall stuff and
was having to go real slow...

Later,
Dan

 

[SageBrush]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

I ran upon a deer also, but I was on my Utility ATV. Came around a sharp corner at 20 + mph and hello! I was on a tight trail with a vertical rock face to my left and a very steep drop (600' + ) off to my right. All I could do was stop and let the big critter squeeze by. The brakes worked good, never made contact. Hope I never do.

On the Monkey Pox thing: couldn't a cat that catches rodents etc... be a danger? Time to get ridd of those cats /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It's getting scarry out there. In Alabama, the Military has chosen to burn and destroy chemical weapons. The disposal area is about 10 miles away at an Army base. They set up these warning sirens and stuff, boy I feel safe now. They're going to truck this stuff in too.

You wouldn't believe the amount of toxic waste we have in the Jacksonville, Gadsen, Anniston area. Thankfully we are up stream of most of the bad stuff. Now if only we can stay up wind /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Over the years I've worked on the Atlanta CDC labs and state research labs on the construction side. Been on three containment projects. Its amazing how many class 4/5 labs are in Georgia. Thankfully, most people would never know the locations. They look almost like any other building, unless you know what to look for. The CDC buildings are clearly marked though, a CDC project is going on northeast of Atlanta now, even closer to our GA house. I hope they build it perfect! No leaks please. We had a leak in Athens (UGA) a few years back, two young boys died from playing in a drainage area. I was working there at the time, we never went near any sewer or storm drains after that! I don't fish south of there any more either.

 

[bryce]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

Sagebrush. I live near Lake Lanier. How far am I from the new class 4/5 containment building?
What ATV do you own?
Do you know of any stores that resemble Tractor Supply?
Robert

 

[DennisArrow]

Re: Don\'t Mow Over Rabbits!

Sagebrush......Did you get one of the protective breathing devices they issued last week?.........local news out of Chatanooga had a story about the gov issuing 25,000 devices to folks in the Anniston area. Seems they are burning several tons of WMD agents in the next few weeks........Cant you just see the brown grey cloud over the Rome pocket on a hot day?......Dennis