Rabies is a viral disease that’s commonly passed through a bite from an infected animal. This disease can lead to a wide array of symptoms including disorientation, fainting, pain, and/or death.
This is why it’s important to understand how certain animals are impacted by rabies.
For bird owners, you will want to ask, why don’t birds get rabies?
Birds don’t get rabies because they naturally produced antibodies to overcome this viral disease. Studies show if a bird is injected with rabies, it will remain asymptomatic and get better on its own.
This illustrates how rabies doesn’t affect birds as it does other animals. Birds have simply evolved to the point where rabies is not an issue for them after encountering a rabid animal in the wild.
This article will take a look at some of the reasons birds don’t get rabies and why they are different from other animals that do.
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Reasons Birds Don’t Get Rabies
1. Develop Antibodies
The main reason birds don’t get rabies has to do with their immune system.
Just like any other disease, it is the immune system that dictates how an animal feels. This is the same for birds as soon as they are infected by rabies.
Unlike other animals, birds do have the ability to withstand rabies. This is done by their immune system producing relevant antibodies within minutes to handle the disease before it spreads everywhere.
With younger birds, this response is quick and it is enough for them to not even realize they have been infected.
It is these antibodies that make all the difference in how a bird feels when it is infected with rabies. Other animals would start exhibiting systems right away but that is not a concern for birds.
They have the ability to withstand rabies and not even realize what’s going on.
A lot of research has gone into understanding how a bird’s body works.
It is their immune response to rabies that illustrates how fine-tuned their body is to this type of viral disease. They can quickly get rid of the disease and make sure its symptoms don’t overwhelm them.
This is one of the key reasons for rabies not being a problem for birds in the wild.
2. Genetic Profile
While the immune response is key, it is also important to dig further into a bird’s genetic profile when it comes to a disease such as this.
Most birds have a strong genetic profile when it comes to viral diseases such as this. While they don’t do well with other types of diseases, rabies is not one of them.
They have built immunity over the years to the point the viral disease doesn’t bother them at all.
This genetic profile is one of the reasons rabies is not a problem for birds whether they are a pet or not.
Even animals that get hurt outdoors will have more to worry about when it comes to the bite rather than the disease.
The average bird will succumb to the physical injury of a bite (if it’s serious) compared to rabies.
3. Asymptomatic
Let’s assume a bird was taken and someone injected rabies into their bloodstream.
This is a test that has been done to see how birds would react to rabies and why they are not impacted by it compared to other animals.
What the research showed was their body quickly responded to the disease. It was within minutes and that meant they didn’t have symptoms at all.
This demonstrates how fine-tuned a bird’s body is when it comes to this type of disease.
Related Questions
1. Why Can’t Bird Get Rabies?
Birds can’t get rabies because they can produce natural antibodies to help keep the disease away. They are also genetically inclined to withstand the symptoms of rabies and will remain asymptomatic if the viral disease enters their bloodstream.
2. How Common Is Rabies In Birds?
It is rare to see rabies in birds. They do not get infected often and will remain asymptomatic if they do get infected by the viral disease. This is due to a bird’s body being able to produce fast-acting antibodies to take care of rabies.
Final Thoughts
Why don’t birds get rabies?
Birds don’t get rabies because they produce natural antibodies to keep the disease away. These antibodies help locate and remove the disease before it harms the bird’s body. This ensures the bird remains asymptomatic during the entire experience.
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