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Published Date: 2010-06-27 10:00:04
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies update - USA (03): June 2010
Archive Number: 20100627.2143

RABIES UPDATE - USA (03): JUNE 2010
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In this issue:

[1] Alert Coryell county Texas, cat: control worker bitten
[2] Garrett county, Maryland: raccoon: unvaccinated dog
[3] Ewing city, NJ, 2 raccoons
[4] Cottonwood, Yavapai county Arizona, Fox attack
[5] Bat in Longmont, Colorado
[6] Maine woman encounters grey fox in garden
[7] Alabama: Rabid fox in Balwin County
[8] Pennsylvania: Rabid raccoon attacks dog in backyard
[9] South Carolina woman attacked by fox
[10] Rabies remains a concern for Ocean County residents
[11] Greenville County, Greer, South Carolina, Man bitten by fox
[12] Appomattox County, Virginia: 3 raccoons test positive in last 2months
[13] Cherokee County, Georgia, stray kitten, Vet scratched, Members
of family involved
[14] Leesburg, Virginia Pointer fighting with raccoon.
[15] Nebraska, Rabid cat bites child at school
[16] Man who was bitten by an injured kitten should seek rabies treatment

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[1] Alert Coryell county Texas, : cat: control worker bitten
Date: 19 Jun 2010
Source: CBS 19 [edited]
<http://www.cbs19.tv/Global/story.asp?S=12675638>

A Rabies Alert is in effect for a portion of Coryell County after a
cat tested positive for the virus.

While only one neighborhood cat off Jennifer Circle has tested
positive for rabies so far, there could be more infected animals,
carrying a dangerous and contagious virus.

Another Copperas Cove resident had 2 unwelcome guests in her yard 2
days ago. "I just shut the trap door on him," says the resident, "and
sealed him in there." Two malnourished cats were wandering around the
resident's home Wednesday [16 Jun 2010] morning, so she says she did
what she has done before and trapped the stray cats until Copperas
Cove Animal Control arrived. The resident took the carrier and the
cage with the cats to animal control. Then she called them back,
saying she had been bitten.

The resident says she was shocked to find out that one of the cats
she trapped had rabies and that the cat allegedly bit the animal
control worker.

Anyone who may have come in contact with an animal in the area that
appears to be acting abnormal is urged to contact the Copperas Cove
Animal Control office at 254-547-5584 or the Copperas Cove Police
Department at 254-547-8222.

[Byline: Britney Glaser]

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[2] Garrett county, Maryland: raccoon: unvaccinated dog
Date: 18 Jun 2010
Source: Time-News [edited]
<http://times-news.com/local/x1617555661/Raccoon-killed-by-dog-first-rabies-case-in-Garrett-County>

Garrett County confirmed its 1st rabies case of the year on Thursday
[17 Jun 2010] according to the county Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

An unvaccinated dog fought with and killed a raccoon Wednesday [16
Jun 2010], that [raccoon] later tested positive for the disease. The
incident occurred in the Old Morgantown road area near Accident. The
dog's owners opted to euthanize it rather than undergo the required
6-month quarantine process.

The agencies usually test for rabies only in cases where a
potentially infected animal came in contact with a person or pet.

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[3] Ewing city, NJ, 2 raccoons
Date: 18 Jun 2010
Source: Trentonian.com [edited]
<http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/06/18/news/doc4c1bcdcdd2ddf283923110.txt>

Local health officials issued a rabies alert minutes ago after
determining through tests that 2 raccoons trapped days ago in the
township are infected with the deadly [rabies] virus, which can be
passed to people.

Raccoons dying from rabies were captured along Old Ewingville Road
near Spruce Street and in the West Trenton section of the township,
Health Officer Allan Lee said in a press release.

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[4] Cottonwood, Yavapai county Arizona, Fox attack
Date: 18 Jun 2010
Source: Prescott Daily Courier [edited]
<http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=82301>

It was the 1st reported rabid wildlife attack in Yavapai County this
year [2010], after several odd incidents in 2009.

In the latest incident Wednesday [16 Jun 2010] evening, a woman who
lives along North Willard Street in Cottonwood said a fox attacked
her and bit her hand. She had just caught a javelina in a trap in her
yard and when it was loaded into her vehicle, she went back into her
yard. Suddenly, a grey fox jumped over a retaining wall and bit her
hand, then ran away. She suffered minor lacerations and is undergoing
rabies shots.

The woman's husband said the fox had been in the area for some time
and thought it lived in an abandoned house next door. However, it had
just started acting strangely in the last few days.

When the report came into the police, they suspected the fox was
rabid because they had received 2 earlier reports of a fox trying
unsuccessfully to attack people in the area, including a UPS driver
who fended off the fox with a clipboard, according to state wildlife
officials and Cottonwood Sgt. Gareth Braxton.

An officer spotted the fox in the vacant home next to the victim's
home, Cottonwood police said. When the fox leaped onto the retaining
wall about 15 feet away from the officers, one of the officers shot
and killed it.

Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesperson Zen Mocarski warned
people to stay away from wild animals and watch for unusual behavior
indicative of rabies.

[Byline: Joanna Dodder Nellan]

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[5] Bat in Longmont, Colorado
Date: 14 Jun 2010
Source: Longmont Ledger [edited]
<http://longmontledger.com/news/county-health-officials-say-rabies-risk-higher-this-year-first-confirmed-case-a-bat-found-in-longmont/#idc-container>

The recent discovery of rabid bats in Longmont, an increasing
incidence of rabies in skunks statewide, and a higher number of cases
in other animals in nearby counties has Boulder County health
officials warning of a heightened risk to people and their pets.

Residents have been advised to check their livestock's and pets'
vaccinations after 2 bats tested positive for rabies this month [June
2010], said Lane Drager, the Boulder County Public Health
Department's consumer protection program coordinator. One rabid bat
was found in the basement of a Longmont home and the other in the
backyard of a Longmont home. "It has made its way to our doorstep,"
Drager said.

"We haven't seen an explosion of bat rabies but we're still
concerned," Drager said. "We're anticipating more people will
encounter bats, and we want them to avoid them."

More concerning to officials is a strain of rabies in skunks. Skunks
are more likely than bats to come in contact with domestic animals,
livestock and people. As a result, they may more easily spread the
deadly disease. As of last week, officials had found 45 skunks across
the state that tested positive for rabies, according to the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment.

According to the state public health department, 7 other animals were
discovered before June this year [2010] to have the disease in nearby
counties, including a horse in Arapahoe County, 2 foxes and a mule
deer in Elbert County and a muskrat in Morgan County. Before last
year, horses were rabies free in Colorado for 25 years.

[Byline: Nissa LaPoint]

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[6] Maine woman encounters grey fox in garden
Date: 22 Jun 2010
Source: Natural Unseen Hazards [edited]
<http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/rabies-reports-from-alabama-arizona-florida-maine-maryland-new-jersey-2-new-york-pennsylvania-south-carolina-and-texas-2/>

A visitor wasn't sure what to do after a grey fox scratched and bit
her Tuesday [22 Jun 2010] while weeding her friend's garden on
Prescott Road. The victim said her friend, a resident of Manchester,
called the state Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, but
wardens wouldn't come out to capture the fox. Later that day, the fox
attacked the resident's neighbor on his porch. The neighbor was able
to kick the animal down the stairs and then shot it without being
bit. The victim went to the emergency room for a series of post
exposure prophylaxis shots. The victim's dog, who shook the fox, was
vaccinated and is receiving a booster.

Maine law governing rabies management says that Inland & Fisheries
pays for any necessary cost for the transportation and euthanasia of
"an undomesticated animal when reasonable cause exists to believe
that the undomesticated animal has exposed a person to rabies." State
Veterinarian Donald Hoenig said Inland Fisheries would pay the lab
fee to test the fox for rabies, in accordance with the law. "If you
had a fox in the backyard acting weird and you shot it, unless a
human or domestic animal had exposure, the cost of the testing would
be charged to owner," Hoenig said. "The funding just isn't available
to test every animal that acts suspicious."

[Byline: Mechelle Cooper]

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[7] Alabama: Rabid fox in Balwin County
Date: 22 Jun 2010
Source: Natural Unseen Hazards [edited]
<http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/rabies-reports-from-alabama-arizona-florida-maine-maryland-new-jersey-2-new-york-pennsylvania-south-carolina-and-texas-2/>

The diagnosis of a rabid fox in the Spanish Fort area in Baldwin
County has prompted public officials to encourage pet owners to be
sure their dogs, cats and ferrets are vaccinated against rabies,
which is a fatal disease. Charlotte Plumb, environmental supervisor
with the Baldwin County Health Department, said: "We strongly caution
people not to approach stray animals, wildlife and bats."

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[8] Pennsylvania: Rabid raccoon attacks dog in backyard
Date: 22 Jun 2010
Source: Natural Unseen Hazards [edited]
<http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/rabies-reports-from-alabama-arizona-florida-maine-maryland-new-jersey-2-new-york-pennsylvania-south-carolina-and-texas-2/>

On Wednesday [16 Jun 2010?], a resident of Media rushed out to his
backyard to see his beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Amos, being
attacked by what turned out to be a rabid raccoon. "I heard
screeching like he was on his last legs, and I ran down to the back,
and there was a raccoon hanging off his lower jaw," the resident
said. When the dog's owner appeared, the raccoon dropped off Amos and
hid under a pile of scrap wood. Using a cage and some food as bait,
the resident trapped the raccoon himself and hurried Amos to the vet
for a rabies booster.

"He's had several rabies shots, and, because of that, he has less
than a one percent chance, according to the veterinarian, of
contracting the disease; that still makes me edgy. I'd like to see a
0 percent," the resident said. Amos has not tested positive, but will
be quarantined for 3 months [In order for an animal to be tested for
rabies, the animal must be deceased and the brain tested. - Mod.TG].

As for the raccoon, it was already dead by the time they returned
from the vet and called Animal Control. The raccoon was turned over
for testing and found positive for rabies, according to The State
Department of Agriculture.

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[9] South Carolina woman attacked by fox
Date: 22 Jun 2010
Source: Natural Unseen Hazards [edited]
<http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/rabies-reports-from-alabama-arizona-florida-maine-maryland-new-jersey-2-new-york-pennsylvania-south-carolina-and-texas-2/>

A rabid fox attacked an 80-year-old woman as she was doing some
gardening in her back yard. She spent 3 days in the hospital and has
to use a walker while she heals. The attack happened Wednesday [16
Jun 2010] morning at the victim's home in Clinton.

The victim said she walked out on her back patio to stake her tomato
plants and that's when a fox shrieked and latched onto her leg. The
animal bit her 3 times and wouldn't let go. Her son usually visits
earlier in the morning, but got there late. He kicked the fox and
beat it with the stake his mother was using on her plants. The fox
let go of the woman's leg and took off. Her son said police shot it
in the neighbor's yard.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control said the animal
tested positive for rabies. "According to the veterinarian, this was
a young female fox that had never had babies. So, she was probably
part of a litter, and possibly has some brothers and sisters running
around, [that may also have rabies]," said the victim.

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[10] Rabies remains a concern for Ocean County residents
Date: 24 Jun 10
Source: Tritown News [edited]
<http://tritown.gmnews.com/news/2010-06-24/Front_Page/Rabies_remains_a_concern_for_Ocean_County_resident.html>

The Ocean County Health Department (OCHD) continues to warn Ocean
County residents against handling, feeding or providing assistance to
stray animals.

According to a press release, a resident from the Manchester area was
bitten by a kitten she was caring for in addition to another kitten.
Both kittens have tested positive for rabies, and the resident is
beginning rabies treatment.

According to Ocean County Freeholder Gerry P. Little, liaison to the
health department: "Any strange-acting animal could have rabies.
There have been several reported cases of rabid animals, including
raccoons, skunks, bats and cats throughout Ocean County.

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[11] Greenville County, Greer, South Carolina, Man bitten by fox
Date: 22 Jun 2010
Source: WYFL 4. com [edited]
<http://www.wyff4.com/news/23992319/detail.html>

A Greer man who was bitten by a fox has prompted a rabies alert in
Greenville County. The man was bitten on 17 Jun 2010, according to a
release from the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control. He is currently under the care of a physician
after the animal tested positive for rabies, the release said.

"The incident occurred when the fox ran out from a garden area and
bit the man on his right hand," said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of
Environmental Health.

"If you think you have been exposed to the rabies virus through a
bite, scratch or the saliva of a possibly infected animal,
immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap and water,"
she said. "Then be sure to get medical attention and report the
incident to DHEC."

This is the 2nd confirmed rabid animal in Greenville County in 2010
according to DHEC records. For more information about rabies, see
DHEC's web page at <http://www.scdhec.gov/rabies> or contact DHEC's
Greenville County Environmental Health office at (864) 282-4146.

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[12] Three raccoons test positive for rabies in last 2 months
Appomattox County Virginia
Date: 23 Jun 2010
Source: WPCVA.com [edited]
<http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2010/06/24/appomattox/news/news32.txt>

Three raccoons have tested positive for rabies in Appomattox County
in the last 2 months, according to a report from the health
department. The most recent incident was 1 Jun 2010.

So far this year [2010], the Health Department has responded to one
raccoon bite and 8 dogs bites, not all of which involved rabies. So
far this year, there have been around 17 incident reports of someone
or another animal being bitten by another animal.

There have not been any reported cases of rabid humans in a while.
"We have not had any (rabid) humans in the area for 50 years," said
Simpson. Health officials want it to stay that way.

[Byline: Stephanie A. James]

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[13] Cherokee County, Georgia, stray kitten, Vet scratched, Members
of family involved
Date: 24 Jun 2010
Source: Cherokee Tribune [edited]
<http://www.cherokeetribune.com/view/full_story/8029092/articl-Stray-kitten-tests-positive-for-rabies?instance=3Dhome-news-bullets>

The family found the kitten on 2 Jun 2010 near their home on Lake
Circle, which is off Highway 92 and Wiley Bridge Road close to the
Cobb County line.

Members of the family and a worker at a Cobb County veterinarian
clinic were exposed to the kitten prior to rabies testing.

When they found the kitten, it looked sickly, the family members
said, so they took it to a nearby animal clinic in Cobb County on 3
Jun 2010. While being treated at the clinic that day, the kitten
scratched a veterinarian technical assistant.

Glen Gordy of the Cherokee County Health Department said the kitten
was euthanized at the clinic because of its illness. Test results
have confirmed the kitten had rabies.

"All people exposed are seeking rabies treatment at a Cobb County
hospital, and residents in the Lake Circle area were notified to
contact us if they believe they were exposed," Gordy said.

For more information, call the environmental health department at
(770) 479-0444 or see the website at <http://www.cdc.gov>.

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[14] Pointer tangles with raccoon
Date: 24 Jun 2010
Source: Washington Post [edited]
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/22/AR201006=2204510.html>

An animal control officer responded to a report of an English pointer
possibly being exposed to rabies from fighting with a raccoon. The
officer took the raccoon's corpse to the animal shelter, where it was
to be picked up for testing at the county health department.

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[15] Rabid cat bites child in south-central Nebraska
Date: 24 Jun 2010
Source: Action 3 News.com [edited]
<http://www.action3news.com/Global/story.asp?S=3D12702682>

Kearney officials say a child is being treated so a case of rabies
doesn't develop.

Police Chief Dan Lynch says a report came in Sunday [20 Jun 2010]
that the child was bitten at Windy Hills Elementary School on the
northwest side of the south-central Nebraska town. The cat was
captured, taken to the Kearney Humane Society, euthanized and tested
for rabies.

A follow-up test by the state confirmed that the cat was rabid.

Officials say the last known human rabies death in Nebraska occurred in 1926.

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[16] Man who was bitten by an injured kitten should seek rabies treatment
Date: 19 Jun 2010
Source: Oregon Live.com [edited]
<http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2010/06/man_who_was_bitten_by_an_injur.html>

If you were bitten by a kitten after it was hit by a car Friday [18
Jun 2010] evening on Southwest Nyberg Road, Liz Hatcher has a urgent
message for you: get treated for rabies.

Hatcher, 45, says she saw the kitten struck by a car, and went to
help. A man she described as being in his 30s, heavy-set, with long
brown hair, came out of Famous Dave's BBQ to help her corral the
kitten. In the process, the kitten bit both of them.

Hatcher used a box from the restaurant and took the kitten to the
nearby Banfield Pet Hospital. "They called me mid-day today [19 Jun
2010] to tell me the kitten might have rabies," she said. The kitten
was euthanized, and the hospital sent a blood sample to a state lab
in Salem. They won't get the results until Monday or Tuesday [Rabies
is diagnosed by the brain, not blood. - Mod.TG].

They told her she should get treated right away and not wait for the
lab results. She went to the emergency room at Legacy Meridian Park
Hospital, where she began rabies treatment, a series of shots.

"They told me that if you wait until you have symptoms, it's too
late," she said.

Hatcher hopes the unknown man who helped her on Friday [18 Jun 2010]
will read this story, and seek medical care.

[Byline: James Mayer]

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[Rabies, an invariably fatal disease, has been known and feared since
antiquity and is usually caused by the bite of an infected animal.
More than 98 percent of all human rabies deaths are caused by the
bite(s) of rabid dogs.

Rabies is distributed worldwide and can affect all mammals including
humans. The virus responsible for rabies infects the central nervous
system resulting in a neurological disorder characterized by horrific
clinical signs and symptoms in both animals and humans. Rabies poses
a substantial threat to human health, killing more than 150 people
every day, and approximately 40 percent of bite victims are children.

The psychological impacts following bites by a rabid animal can be
traumatic. The high costs of life-saving human vaccines and
hospitalization and livestock losses to farmers have large economic
impacts, especially on poor communities. Rabies also threatens the
survival of endangered wildlife species. Controlling rabies is
critically important to prevent human deaths and alleviate its burden
in animal species and on local and national economies.

It is critical to vaccinate your animals, companion animals and livestock.

Portions of this comment have been extracted from:
<http://www.rabiesblueprint.com/spip.php?article11>. - Mod.TG]

See Also