A shrew is a small, long-snouted mammal belonging to the family Soricidae, often mistaken for a mouse but classified as an insectivore, making it a relative of moles and hedgehogs, not rodents. These tiny creatures possess a unique biology, including an extremely high metabolism that dictates their behavior and survival. Because rabies is a viral disease that can affect any mammal, public concern naturally arises when encountering these erratic animals.
Rabies Risk in Shrews
While any warm-blooded animal can contract the rabies virus, shrews are rarely found to be infected and are generally not considered a public health concern for transmission. Major rabies vectors in North America are typically bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, which maintain the disease within their populations. Shrews are grouped with other low-risk species, such as mice, rats, and squirrels. The low incidence in shrews is attributed largely to their diminutive size and frenetic lifestyle. Furthermore, their exceptionally high metabolism means an infected shrew would succumb to the disease very quickly, reducing the window for transmission to other animals or humans.
Shrew Behavior vs. Rabies Symptoms
Much of the public concern about shrews and rabies stems from their naturally frantic and seemingly aggressive behavior. Shrews must eat constantly, consuming up to two times their own body weight daily to sustain their high metabolic rate. This biological need causes them to dart about and appear confrontational as they search voraciously for food. This natural hyperactivity is often mistaken for the “furious” form of rabies seen in dogs or raccoons. When shrews are experimentally infected, they display symptoms consistent with the “dumb” form of the disease, quickly developing an unbalanced gait and losing their natural aggressiveness before dying, often in less than two days.
Protocol for Contact
Despite the low risk, contact with any wild mammal should be treated with caution, and immediate steps should be taken following a bite or scratch. The first action is to thoroughly wash the wound immediately with soap and running water for several minutes. After cleaning the wound, contact local public health authorities or your healthcare provider to report the incident. These officials will conduct a risk assessment based on the species involved and the local prevalence of rabies. If the animal can be safely contained or captured for testing, this should be done, though the decision to administer post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) rests with medical professionals.