Trapping in Guilford will not curb rabies threat
While Guilford County commissioners recently approved a law allowing unlimited fox-trapping in an attempt to address rabies, it is well known to public health experts that trapping not only does not control rabies, it actually facilitates the spread of the deadly disease.
According to the Aug. 7, 2001, Hartford Courant, the World Health Organization and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocate “that trapping not be used to control rabies because it eliminates a healthy buffer population that impedes the spread of the disease.”
More than 30 years ago, Gary Suhowatsky, a research analyst formerly of the New York State Department of Health, testified before the State Assembly Subcommittee on Wildlife that trapping kills the healthiest animals in wildlife populations and leaves behind the most sickly members to spread diseases. The Guilford commissioners should reverse their decision before rabies spirals out of control.
Joe Miele
Las Cruces, N.M.
The writer is president, the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting.
Comments (5)
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" The writer is president, the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting."
I just love these letters from objective people.
Even ones from people in New Mexico.
Posted on May 16, 2009 9:29 AM
Don't like carpetbaggers either. But this guy appears to be carrying some pretty heavy evidentiary luggage. Maybe we ought to set aside the xenophobia and at least look into this guy's claims. If (I said "if") they are based on sound science, then we may be taking exactly the wrong measures and actually making the problem worse.
Hey, I want a Guilford County with a lower rabies rate. If that means considering what some guy says who lives in (gulp) New Mexico who likes foxes, then so be it.
Posted on May 16, 2009 11:28 AM
The problem with steel saw-tooth traps set with bait is that they attract owls,family pets, any living creature and even your child running down to the creek. Fox can't read for Fox use Only. Fox eat rodents. Would you rather have rats or fox? Fox do not kill goats. Rabies is serious and all humans should vaccinate their pets and stay away from traps forever. I have 2 pounds ot of deer meat in my freezer and am not a PETA member. Public Health Carter needs help understanding the evil of steel traps and the killing effects of the innocent.
Posted on May 16, 2009 12:29 PM
Has anyone looked into these TVR (trap-vaccinate-release) programs like those in Ontario, Canada? Seems to give the best of both approaches.
Posted on May 16, 2009 3:29 PM
I just heard of a farmer in south Guilford that was bailing hay in his field and two coyotes(native to western states) attacked his tractor. He did not know if they where rabid or not but he had been farming for a long time and had never been attacked on his tractor by a fox. Safe-Trap vaccinate and release is a good idea but there is no money to pay for it. Every government body is broke. Steel trapping is evil and will cause more harm than good.
Posted on May 16, 2009 4:51 PM