Peter Starrenburg, age 11, of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, for his question:

Can birds yet rabies?

Birds are warm blooded animals and all warm blooded animals can get rabies. In most cases, the germ is injected when the victim is bitten by an already rabid animal. A rabid farm dog, for example, may enter the chicken run, rushing around madly, snapping at any living thing within range. If the chickens previously knew him as a gentle, trustworthy character, they will not fear him. Some are bound to get bitten and those that do will be infected with the same dreadful disease.

However, birds do not transmit rabies to other animals. Apparently the cruel virus needs the saliva of toothed animals in which to thrive and multiply. This factor is riot too well understood. But we do know that birds have no teeth. The disease is spread from one toothy mammal to another. But when a bird is bitten, the chain reaction stops.