By Kristin Carden, Coleen Brown and Brad McFarland
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 25, 1997

Implication false that mammalogy professor not concerned with safety

Editor:

We are currently enrolled in Dr. Nachman's mammalogy class, and disagree with statements made in the September 24 article concerning lack of safety on class field trips. The article implies that Dr. Nachman is not concerned with his students' safety and trivialized the risk of contracting diseases from wildlife. This is completely untrue. He provided articles for us to read on rodent-borne illnesses, had a graduate student studying hantavirus give a lecture on the disease, and repeatedly told us that we were not required to handle any rodents, particularly the Peromyscus species that can carry hantavirus.

While the risk of being exposed to hantavirus, rabies, and other illnesses is present, it is not great enough to preclude field studies and handling of rodents. During our field trip to the Southwestern Research Station, we participated in the trapping and handling of small mammals. At no time did we feel pressured to handle a bat or participate in any potentially hazardous activity.

The syllabus states: "Because of the presence of hantavirus in some rodent populations, you will not be required to trap or handle live animals if you do not wish to do so." This was reiterated continuously during the field trip. The responsibility lies with the student. It is the individual's decision to determine whether he or she will participate; the student must stand by his or her decision. People who choose this class or field of study should realize and accept the risks inherent in field work. In reality, it is much more dangerous driving in a car than contracting a disease from wildlife. We are not stating that there is no risk in handling small mammals, but it must be put in perspective. Above all, people must take responsibility for their own actions.

Kristin Carden
Coleen Brown
Brad McFarland
Wildlife and Fisheries seniors