Rabies, Animal, Human - Russia (02) : Moscow Region

RABIES, ANIMAL, HUMAN - RUSSIA (02): (MOSCOW REGION)
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A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Thu 2 Jul 2009
Source: IA Moscow news [trans, abbreviated, Mod.NP, edited]


According to RosSelhozNadzor (The Federal Agency for Veterinary and
Phytosanitary Supervision), the numbers of stray dogs and cats, the vectors
of rabies, have continued to increase throughout the Moscow region.

The number of rabies cases among animals during 2008 was 2.5 times their
number during 2007. 80 per cent of the cases involved wildlife, of which
the population growth is uncontrolled. The other 20 per cent involved pets.

During the 1st 5 months of 2009, 11 000 persons applied for post-exposure
treatment. This is an 11 per cent more than in the same period of 2008.

communicated by:
ProMED-RUS


[According to VmDaily , 13
cases of human rabies have been recorded within the Moscow region since
1987; 9 of them died during the last 5 years. - Mod.NP

Clearly, the reservoirs of the virus in the Moscow region are wild animals;
according to previous postings, these are predominantly raccoon dogs
(_Nyctereutes procyonoides_) and foxes. Stray or unvaccinated pet dogs
(and, to a lesser extent, cats) exposed to wildlife deliver the fatal virus
into the human population.

The reported increase in the number of rabies cases in animals (probably
referring to both wildlife and domestic pets) deserves some explanation; it
could also reflect intensified monitoring. The increased number of exposed
(and subsequently treated) people may, however, reflect a growth in the
stray animal population or deficient vaccination coverage of pets.

Oral vaccination of wildlife is the recommended mode for spatial rabies
control. Several of the vaccines which have been long demonstrated as
highly effective and safe in controlling the disease in foxes -- in western
Europe and elsewhere -- have been tested in raccoon dogs as well, with
similarly satisfactory results. - Mod.AS]

Rabies, Human, Canine - Viet Nam (Lai Chau)

RABIES, HUMAN, CANINE - VIET NAM (LAI CHAU)
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A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Wed 1 Jul 2009
Source: VNS, Viet Nam News agency [edited]


Northern Lai Chau Province announced a rabies epidemic after 4 people died
of the disease and at least 500 people had been bitten by rabid dogs in the
last 2 months. "The 500 cases only account for the number of patients who
got a rabies [vaccination] at the province's Preventive Healthcare Centre
after being bitten," said Do Van Giang, deputy director of Lai Chau
Province's Health Department, adding that the actual number of infected
people could be much higher.

Due to the high demand for dog meat, many local people transported dogs
from Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc provinces. These dogs then infected the local
dogs, leading to the rabies outbreak, said Nguyen Cong Huan, director of
the province's Health Department.

"More people will die of rabies because they do not get the vaccine," he
said. The cost for the vaccine is high -- nearly VND one million (USD 56)
for a course of 5 injections -- and 40 per cent of people in the province
have an average monthly income of VND 200 000 (USD 11), according to Giang.

"My pregnant daughter was killed by a rabid dog because she couldn't get
the vaccine in time," said a 64 year old in Lai Chau Town, who recovered
from rabies after several days of treatment in the province's hospital
[presumably as a result of prophylactic immunization before any symptoms of
infection developed. - Mod.CP]. "Authorities should support patients like
us and get us free treatment. If not, we will not be able to afford the
vaccine," said Thanh.

The province recently decreed that the poor would get free rabies vaccines
and others would get 50 per cent of the vaccine cost subsidised, said Huan.
Some local ethnic minorities lack information about the disease and choose
to treat it with herbal remedies instead of getting the vaccine. "Many
people rush around looking for herbal medicine after being bitten by dogs.
However, this is useless and causes more harm because there is no
scientific basis for this treatment," said Bui Tien Thanh, a doctor at the
province's General Hospital.

Local health officers have handed out leaflets about rabies and treatment
to educate people about the disease and have asked anyone who has been
bitten by dogs to go to the Preventive Healthcare Centre for treatment,
according to Nguyen Van Ngoc, deputy director of the Preventive Healthcare
Centre. "In addition, relevant authorities have increased the management of
dog transports from other provinces and are more closely monitoring the
province's current canines," said Huan.

So far, the province's Veterinary Department has vaccinated 4 dogs and cats
in the province. "It has been decades since the last rabies epidemic, and
the province is trying to stop the spread of the disease as quickly as
possible," said Giang.

communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via
ProMED-mail

[A map of the provinces of Viet Nam can be accessed at:
. The province of Lai Chau
lies in the far western part of the northern region.

Rabies in Viet Nam continues to be a problem partly on account of lack of
regulation of the trade of dog breeding and provision of dog meat for human
consumption (see references below). Comprehensive vaccination of canines
would both protect human health and have long term economic benefits. - Mod.CP]

Rabies, Fox, Human Exposure - USA : (North Carolina)

RABIES, FOX, HUMAN EXPOSURE - USA: (NORTH CAROLINA)
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A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Sun 28 Jun 2009
Source: InjuryBoard.com, North-east Carolina [edited]


Rabid animal attacks have been reported recently in Durham and Orange
counties, which underlines the fact that rabies also exists in north
eastern North Carolina's wild animal population. Recently, a 4 year old
Durham girl was bitten by a fox that climbed a fenced-in yard at a day care
center, according to a report by the News and Observer in Raleigh. Another
fox attacked 2 women in Chapel Hill hours later, the paper reported.

Rabies can become a public health issue when a person is bitten or a pet is
attacked by a wild animal. Rabies is very dangerous; left untreated, it is
deadly. Despite its danger, rabies exposure in pets and humans is a
relatively rare occurrence in northeastern North Carolina. Cats are the
most commonly affected domestic animals, according to North Carolina
Department of Health and Human Services. The largest majority of reported
rabies cases each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats
and foxes.

It is imperative to make sure your pets have updated rabies shots.
Potentially exposed pets that have not had a rabies vaccination or a
booster shot within 3 years will be quarantined for 10 days to see if
rabies is present in the animal. Pets thought to be infected must be
quarantined for 6 months. However, most families are unable to afford the
cost of quarantining pets and are forced to have the animal put to sleep.

Rabies is most often transmitted by the bite of a rabid animal, according
to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control at the US Department of
Health and Human Services website. When a human is exposed to rabies, an
effective method to decrease the chance of infection is to thoroughly wash
the wound with soap and water according to CDC. People exposed to the
disease also may need to have a series of 6 shots over a 28-day period [now
reduced to 4, see: Rabies, human - USA: vaccination protocol change:
20090625.2312. - Mod.CP]

[byline: Randy Appleton]

communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[The date of these attacks is not given, but they do not appear to have
been recorded previously in ProMED-mail. The fate of the rabid animals and
the treatment of their victims are not revealed.

The adjacent counties of Durham and Orange lie in the north of the state
and can be located using the map of the counties of North Carolina at:
. - Mod.CP]

Rabies, Canine - Angola (03) : (Luanda)

RABIES, CANINE - ANGOLA (03): (LUANDA)
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A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Tue 23 Jun 2009
Source: OIE, Animal Health Information & Angolan Veterinary Services [edited]

[Re: ProMED-mail Rabies, canine - Angola (02): (LU), RFI 20090611.2164]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote [edited English]: "Monkeys have been vaccinated because they
were considered as pets. They live in houses in contact with humans
and dogs. After considering the risk of being a source of infection of
certain human cases in Luanda, the decision was to vaccinate this
species as well."

Communicated by:
Karim Ben Jebara

[We requested clarification on monkey vaccination against rabies by
Angola and got this information, which in my opinion makes sense. -
KBJ.]

[I thank Karim for going to the trouble to clarify this question.
Because "trapping" was mentioned, this moderator mistakenly thought
the monkeys involved were wild. - Mod.JW]

Rabies, Antelope - Namibia : Request for Information

RABIES, ANTELOPE - NAMIBIA: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Fri 19 Jun 2009
From: Herbert Schneider

Rabies in Namibia
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A massive outbreak of rabies, affecting kudu antelopes, started early
last year [2008] in Namibia. During a helicopter count in the Khomas
highlands during the winter months of 2008 some 500 dead kudu bulls
were counted. Similar outbreaks were observed in the past, with the
largest one during the years 1977-1985 , when an estimated loss of
30-50 000 antelope (20 per cent of the population) was reported,
apparently involving oral spread of rabies infection between
individuals.

It is estimated that over 20 000 antelopes have died during the
current epizootic.

Dr Herbert P Schneider
Namibia


[Dr Schneider's authoritative clinical/epidemiological observation is
gratefully acknowledged. Laboratory confirmation and information on
possible control measures will be anticipated with interest. A
picture of a kudu is available at
.

The major, unique epizootic of 1977-1985, which decimated about 20
percent of the kudu antelope (_Tragelaphus strepsiceros_) population
of Namibia, as well as the later, smaller outbreaks of 2002 and 2006,
provided an example of horizontal spread between individuals by means
of non-bite transmission. The social behavior of kudu was believed to
be the contributing factor, through the exposure of mouth lesions
from the browsing of thorn bushes to the infected saliva.

References
----------
1. Schneider HP: Rabies in South Western Africa/Namibia. In Rabies in
the Tropics. Edited by: Kuwert, Merieux, Koprowski, Bogel. Berlin:
Springer; 1985:520-535.
2. Swanepoel R, Barnard BJH, Meredith CD, Bishop GC, Bruckner GK,
Foggin CM, Hubschle OJB: Rabies in southern Africa. Onderstepoort J
Vet Res 1993, 60: 325-346. Abstract available at
.
3. Mansfield K, McElhinney L, Huebschle O, Mettler F, Sabeta C, Nel
LH, Fooks AR: A molecular epidemiological study of rabies epizootics
in kudu (_Tragelaphus strepsiceros_) in Namibia. BMC Vet Res 2006,
Jan 13; 2:2. Available at
. - Mod.AS]

[The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Namibia can be accessed at
. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

Rabies, Canine - Angola (02) : (Luanda), Request for Information

RABIES, CANINE - ANGOLA (02): (LUANDA), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: 11 Jun 2009
From: Jack Woodall

Re: Rabies, canine - Angola: (LU) OIE
----------------------------------------
This OIE report states: "Vaccinations in response to the outbreak(s)
in Luanda: 4457 cats vaccinated in all the municipalities of Luanda
province; 108 531 dogs vaccinated in all the municipalities of Luanda
province; ***901 wild monkeys vaccinated***" (my emphasis).

CDC says: "Cases of monkey-transmitted human rabies are rare;
however, one extremely long incubation period (37.5 months) was
reported (Wilson JM, Hettiarachchi J, Wijesuriya LM. Presenting
features and diagnosis of rabies. Lancet 1975;2:1139-40). CDC also
reports a human fatality in 1987 in Australia after a bite from a
monkey in a market in India, but none since (CDC (1988) Imported
Human Rabies -- Australia, 1987 Vol.37(22);351-3
).

The island of Bali, Indonesia has recently been experiencing a rabies
outbreak in dogs, reported by ProMED. Soegiarto, head of the
Denpasar-based Veterinary Main Office in Bali, recently urged local
authorities to monitor areas where tourists go to view wild monkeys,
while admitting that: "In countries affected by rabies outbreaks,
such as India and Pakistan, cases of rabies among monkeys have
***never*** been reported" (my emphasis)
.

As visitors and residents of India and Thailand know, there are many
monkey temples in those countries, wherein feral macaques mix with
stray dogs, which are a major source of human rabies in those
countries, but no rabies has been reported in the monkeys.

I am not aware of such places in Angola. So can anyone explain the
rationale behind spending a considerable amount of money to trap and
vaccinate nearly 1000 wild monkeys there?

Jack Woodall
Associate Editor, ProMED-mail

Rabies, Skunks - USA : (Texas)

RABIES, SKUNKS - USA: (TEXAS)
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: 10 Jun 2009
Source: Fort Bend Now [edited]



Rabid Skunks Near Needville And Beasley
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The discovery of rabid skunks near Needville and Beasley has prompted
Fort Bend County Animal Control officials to urge that owners make
sure their pets' rabies vaccinations are up to date. Animal control
officers found one skunk that tested positive for rabies in an
unincorporated area near Beasley, and the other inside Needville city
limits, according to a statement issued Wednesday [10 June 2009] by
the Fort Bend County Health and Human Services. No other details
about the discoveries was immediately available.

"Although the incidence of rabies is low among domestic animals in
the United States, with the occurrence of wildlife rabies comes the
increased risk for infection of humans," said County Animal Control
Director Vernon Abschneider.

Abschneider's department is urging pet owners to keep their animals'
rabies vaccinations current.

"It is also important to keep your animals restrained and not allow
them to roam freely, as this will further protect them from
confrontation with wildlife," Abschneider said.

He added that skunks are nocturnal, and if they're active in the
daytime, it's an indication they're rabid. Therefore, any daytime
sightings of skunks should be reported to local animal control officers.

Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system and
transmitted by the bite of an infected animal. It is almost always
fatal once symptoms in humans or signs in animals appear. Humans and
animals can be exposed to rabies from the saliva or brain and spinal
cord tissue of a rabid animal that bites or scratches them. Wild
animals, such as raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes and coyotes are more
likely to carry rabies. Exposure can also occur if infected saliva or
tissue gets into a fresh wound (one that has bled within 24 hours) or
the eyes, nose or mouth.

Several things can be done if one is exposed to rabies. After being
bitten, it is important to quickly wash the animal bite or scratch
with a lot of soap and water. Then, contact your doctor immediately
to receive rabies immune globulin and a series rabies vaccine to
prevent infection. The rabies immune globulin and the 1st vaccine
should be given as soon as possible after exposure. However, if the
animal can be caught and observed or tested for rabies, it is safe to
wait up to 10 days before starting the series.

The early symptoms of rabies include irritability, headache, fever,
itching or pain at the site of exposure.

Communicated by:
ProMED-Mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[To test for rabies in an animal, the suspect animal must be dead.
Therefore it is advisable for pet owners to protect their pets,
including horses and cattle with rabies vaccination. - Mod.TG

A map of Texas is available at:

- CopyEd.EJP]