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

RABIES, FOX, HUMAN EXPOSURE - USA: (NORTH CAROLINA)
***************************************************
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, Fox, Raccoon, Bat - USA : (Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland, Alert)

RABIES, FOX, RACCOON, BAT - USA: (PENNSYLVANIA, KENTUCKY, MARYLAND), ALERT
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post

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


[1]
Date: 20 May 2009
Source: WBOC.com [edited]


The Worcester County Health Department is alerting residents that
since 1 May 2009, there have been 6 laboratory confirmed rabid
raccoons in Worcester County.

In the last week, 4 of the confirmed raccoons have been found in
highly populated areas, according to the department.

Those areas include north Ocean City, Ocean Pines, White Marlin Mall
in West Ocean City and South Point. The Health Department says that
although rabies is present to some degree in Worcester County at all
times, these latest cases illustrate that the disease is not only
associated with rural settings but can, in fact, be found in suburban
and town settings.

Raccoons are the most frequently identified carrier of rabies in
Maryland as well as in Worcester County, but the deadly viral disease
has also been found in foxes, cats, bats, skunks and groundhogs.

The Health Department recommends several things you can do to protect
your family and pets from exposure:

-Make sure your dogs and cats are currently vaccinated against rabies
and keep those vaccinations current.

-Do not let your pets roam free. They are more likely to have contact
with a rabid wild animal

-Avoid feeding your animals outside. This draws stray and wild
animals to your doorstep.

-Teach your children not to approach wild animals and animals they don't know.

-Avoid sick animals and those acting in an unusual manner. Report
this behavior to the local law enforcement.

-If your pet has contact with a wild animal, avoid touching your pet
with bare hands and do not touch the wild animal. Report the incident
to local law enforcement and to the Health Department. If you have
questions regarding rabies, you are asked to contact the Health
Department at (410) 641-9559 or consult with your veterinarian.

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[2]
Date: 21 May 2009
Source: Kentucky.com [edited]


Health officials say they've found a rabid bat in Lexington, making
it the 9th animal in the city to test positive for the disease this
year [2009].

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department announced the findings
Thursday [21 May 2009] and said it has posted signs in the
neighborhood reporting the incident and stressing the importance of
getting pets vaccinated.

Eight other animals in the city have tested positive for the viral
disease this year [2009], including 6 skunks, a fox and a horse.

The number of cases more than doubles the 4 confirmed cases of rabies
in Lexington in all of 2008.

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[3]
Date: 21 May 2009
Source: Pittsburg Live.com [edited]


The adult victim and her son fired several shots at a rabid fox and
finally knocked it unconscious with a mop handle after the animal
attacked the New Sewickley woman's 4-year-old grandson.

The adult victim got out of her truck Saturday [15 May 2009] and was
walking to her daughter's house to get her grandson, when she saw
something dart out from beneath her truck.

"I looked over, and the fox had my grandson pinned up against the
truck, attacking him," The adult victim said. "My grandson wasn't
making any sound. I think he was in shock. I grabbed the fox by the
jaw to make it release, and threw my grandson in the bed of the
truck. But the fox bit the inside of my right arm and then was right
back on my grandson. It wouldn't stop attacking him."

After the adult victim's son fired at the fox, they were able to stop
it with the mop handle, the adult victim said. A township police
officer shot the fox to death. Tests on Tuesday [19 May 2009]
confirmed the animal had rabies.

The adult victim and her grandson began a 28-day course of rabies
vaccination shots [post exposure prophylaxis, PEP] the day they were bitten.

Officials are monitoring the area, which is in Beaver County, for any
other human contact.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and
usually is transmitted through saliva from an infected animal,
according to the state Department of Health.

Since 2000, between 350 and 500 animals annually have tested positive
for rabies in Pennsylvania.

In 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available,
raccoons comprised 56 percent of cases, followed by skunks at 12
percent, cats at 11 percent, bats at 8 percent and foxes at 6
percent, according to the Health Department.

State health officials couldn't say how many people are infected with
rabies each year in Pennsylvania. [Couldn't say, or wouldn't say?
They should have records regarding each rabies case, as it is a
reportable disease. - Mod.TG]

The incubation period for rabies typically runs 3 to 8 weeks but can
be as short as one week or as long as 9 years. Symptoms are
irritability, fatigue, headache, fever and pain or itching at the
exposure site.

Untreated, rabies can result in paralysis, spasms of the throat
muscles, seizures, delirium and death.

People who are bitten by an animal they suspect to be rabid should
wash the wound with soap and warm water immediately and get to a
hospital, Health Department officials said.

Treatment involves a series of shots given in the arm, or thigh for
small children.

Health officials caution that people should call an animal control
officer to capture the animal, and it should be observed for 10 days.
Humane officials might euthanize the animal and test the remains at a
laboratory.

[Byline: Jill King Greenwood]

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[In any of these cases, having your pet vaccinated against this
disease is an increased measure of protection for yourself and your family.

It is always wise to not pick up bats and to avoid animals that are
acting strangely, such as the fox. However, in the case reported
above, contact with the fox may have been unavoidable. - Mod.TG]

Rabies, Wildlife, Equine, Human Exposure - USA : (North Carolinga, Georgia)

RABIES, WILDLIFE, EQUINE, HUMAN EXPOSURE - USA: (NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA)
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A ProMED-mail post

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


[1] North Carolina: wildlife
[2] Georgia: equine

******
[1] North Carolina: wildlife
Date: Tue 7 Apr 2009
Source: The Cherokee Scout [edited]


A rabid fox ran inside a house and bit a man at least twice on 30 Mar
2009. The victim, who lives near Fields of the Wood, was asleep about
7:15 a.m. when he heard scratching at his front door. Thinking it was
his cat, he opened the door. A fox immediately ran in and bit his big
toe. "It was a big fox and madder than hell," the victim said on 1
Apr 2009. "I thought it was my cat. I opened the door, and it
attacked me." He kicked the fox across the room and it went on a
rampage, running all over the house before it came back and grabbed
his other foot. He then kicked the fox again, then grabbed a mop
handle and killed the fox. "It was running wide open," he said. "I
kicked it and it never slowed down. It bit plumb through my big toe."

The victim called [neighbor] Michael Stiles, who looked at his foot
and told him to get to the emergency room. Stiles cut the fox's head
off and made sure it was sent off for testing. The next night, 31 Mar
2009, the victim received news that the fox was rabid. He received 5
[vaccine] shots for rabies and said he must have 5 more [This must be
a mistake; only 5 shots are needed, spread over 28 days, not just a
week -- see below - Mod.CP/JW].

The fox was the 6th confirmed case of rabies in Cherokee County this
year [2009], all occurring since 16 Mar 2008, when a large dog fought
and killed a raccoon in Peachtree. This was the 1st confirmed rabid
fox this year. The others have been raccoons, said Philip Anderson,
who is in charge of the Cherokee County Health Department's rabies
prevention program. There were 20 confirmed cases in the county in
2008. This was the 2nd confirmed case in Hiwassee Dam, the 1st being
a raccoon south of Hiwassee Dam School.

Jim Weller, who lives on Shoal Creek Road, said a fox was sitting at
the end of his driveway during the day. The fox tried to get up but
couldn't. "I could tell it was sick, so I shot it," Weller said. He
called the health department, but since they couldn't send anyone
immediately, he buried the fox. The next day, health department
personnel came and dug the fox up, Weller said.

Rabies cases have been spread all over the county with the exception
of the Andrews and Marble areas, Anderson said. He has collected 36
animals for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a rabies
surveillance program in an attempt to convince the USDA that an oral
rabies vaccine drop [to immunize wildlife] is needed. Anderson said
USDA has collected 30 of the animals, which are animals that haven't
been proven to have bitten other animals or people and include animals
found dead on the roads. "We haven't heard back from [USDA] on any of
the animals," Anderson said. "We have been doing this [since August
2008]. I didn't expect this [long of a] delay."

The oral vaccination drop consists of plastic packets containing the
Raboral V-RG rabies vaccine which are dropped into selected areas by
airplane. The packets are sprinkled with fishmeal coating or encased
in fishmeal so they are eaten by wildlife. Animals that swallow an
adequate dose of the vaccine develop immunity to rabies. As the
proportion of vaccinated animals in the population increases, they
act as a buffer to stop spread of the disease to other wildlife,
domestic animals and people.

Anderson said rabies cases in Cherokee County seem to be escalating.
At this time last year [2008], there were only 2 confirmed cases of
[wildlife] rabies in the county. He got an e-mail from an USDA
representative who said the incidence of rabies in Polk and Monroe
counties in Tennessee have decreased. A bait drop was done in those
counties in September or October 2008.

Anderson asked people to be careful around strange-acting animals,
especially raccoons and foxes, which are not normally seen during the
day. Anderson said he has received calls from people long after they
killed a strange-acting animal and disposed of it. Anderson urged
people to call the health department in such cases. It will cost them
nothing. There will be a rabies clinic on Sat 16 May 2009 at various
locations across the county. A pet who hasn't been vaccinated for
rabies must be quarantined for 6 months before it is freed. Three
different families in Cherokee County have German shepherd dogs
quarantined because they came in contact with rabid animals. All 3
seem to be doing OK, and one is almost ready to come off quarantine,
Anderson said.

[Byline: Dwight Otwill]

Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via
ProMED-mail

[This report reveals a certain lack of urgency on the part of the
responsible authorities to respond to an increased risk of
transmission of rabies virus from wildlife to the human population.
The Raboral V-RG oral vaccine, which is a derivative of the
Copenhagen strain of vaccinia virus engineered to express the
immunogenic G protein of rabies virus, has been used successfully to
control wildlife rabies by air-dropped bait elsewhere in the United
States and to eradicate rabies entirely from much of Western Europe
by targeted habitat seeding.

Contrary to the statement in the preceding text, according to the CDC
website, post-exposure vaccination consists of a regimen of 5 1-mL
doses of HDCV or PCEC vaccines administered intramuscularly to
previously unvaccinated persons. The 1st dose of the 5-dose course
should be administered as soon as possible after exposure. Additional
doses should be administered on days 3, 7, 14, and 28 after the 1st
vaccination. For adults, the vaccination should always be
administered intramuscularly in the deltoid area (arm). For children,
the anterolateral aspect of the thigh is also acceptable. The gluteal
area should never be used for rabies vaccine injections, because
observations suggest administration in this area results in lower
neutralizing antibody titers.

Hiwassee Dam, North Carolina can be located in the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the United States at:
.
- Mod.CP]

******
[2] Georgia: equine
Date: 7 Apr 2009
Source: Independent mail.com [edited]


3 members of a Franklin County family are undergoing treatment
for rabies prevention after it was discovered their horse had the
disease.

The family owns a farm on [route] SR 327 in Franklin Springs and
involves 2 adults and a 7-year-old child.

The news of the county's 1st horse rabies case came Friday [3 Apr
2009] afternoon to the Franklin County Health Department.

"Late Friday [3 Apr 2009], I got a call from the University of
Georgia letting me know they had a horse that had been sent down
there that had tested positive for rabies," said Louis Korff,
Environmental Health manager for the Franklin County Health
Department. "This horse had lived over in the Victoria Bryant Park
area and had never been vaccinated. When I asked the family if the
horse had been vaccinated for rabies, they were surprised you could
vaccinate a horse."

While rabies is relatively rare in horses, Korff said horses as well
as dogs, cats, and other warm-blooded mammals are at risk for rabies
if not vaccinated.

"All horse owners should have their animals vaccinated against rabies
and keep them up because here's a classic example. Some skunk or
raccoon went out there and bit that horse and gave it rabies," he
said. "The horse got sick, and the humans tending to the horse got
themselves exposed. Now I have 2 adults and a 7-year-old child
getting post-exposure shots and going through a lot of emotional
trauma, which could have been avoided by a [horse] vaccination."

The family told Korff the elderly horse was a beloved family pet and
had recently stopped eating and drinking water.

According to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture's
Cooperative Extension Service, signs of rabies in horses can be hard
to diagnose. The main sign to watch for is any behavioral change in
the horse.

Historically, initial signs have been categorized as "furious" and
"paralytic" or "dumb."

"Horses are more likely to get the "dumb" version of it. This horse
stopped eating and stopped drinking water. That's what led to the
people trying to help the horse. They were feeding it and trying to
get it to drink water and were exposed to the disease while the horse
was shedding the virus," Korff said.

The family is now undergoing a series of 5 expensive injections to
prevent them from contracting rabies, which is always fatal in humans.
"You 1st get a human immuno-globulin shot then a series of 4 [actually
5] post-exposure shots," Korff said. Those shots for humans run about
USD 1500 for the series for each
person, according to Korff.

[Byline: MJ Kneiser]

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[Rabies is more common in horses than the writer of the article realizes.

It is important to understand rabies has different forms, as
mentioned in the article, but the name of the form is not nearly as
important as recognizing a change in your animal's behavior, posture,
and attitude. A normally quiet animal that is suddenly aggressive or
an aggressive animal that is quiet and withdrawn are both major
changes to be noted and respected as possible rabies.

I have always advocated vaccinating horses and even cattle,
especially if they are pets or show animals, because we are around
them so much. A rabies preventative is the cheapest insurance for the
family. It would have prevented the post-exposure shots they are now
taking and would have prevented the loss of the horse. - Mod.TG]

[All suspected rabid animals have to be killed and their brains sent
to a rabies lab for confirmation. - Mod.JW]

Rabies, Bovine, Foxes - Belarus: (Grodno)

RABIES, BOVINE, FOXES - BELARUS: (GRODNO)
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Sun 1 Mar 2009
Source: Information Agency "Belorusskiy Portal" [Trans. by Corr.BA, edited]


Unprecedented rabies outbreak in animals in Grodno region
---------------------------------------------------------
A total of 7 laboratory confirmed cases of rabies in wild animals
have been reported in the Zelvenskiy district. A dairy farm has been
placed in quarantine due to the detection of a calf with rabies.

Zelvenskiy, Volkovysskiy and Svislochskiy dictricts are the most
seriously affected territories in the Grodno region. 159 cases of
rabies have been reported in Grodno region during the entire year in
2008, compared to 74 cases during the 2 months January-February 2009.
Foxes are the main reservoir of rabies in this region. Their
population has grown recently.

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[A 3-year rabies control program, including oral vaccination of
wildlife, was implemented in Belarus in 2001. This was followed by a
subsequent reduction of rabies cases in animals, as recorded in 2004.
It would be helpful to note whether the oral vaccination was
continued in following years; if not, the observed deterioration of
the rabies situation should not surprise. - Mod.AS]

[A map showing the location of Belarus is available at:
- CopyEd.EJP]

Rabies, Fox, Human - Russia: (Moscow Region)

RABIES, FOX, HUMAN - RUSSIA: (MOSCOW REGION)
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ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Mon 12 Jan 2009
Source: Life.ru News Agency [in Russian, trans. & summ. Corr.BA, edited]


Fatal rabies case in the Moscow region
--------------------------------------
An emergency situation has been declared in the Noginsk area of the Moscow
region [oblast] where a fatal case of rabies has been reported. All those
who have had contact with the fatal case are under observation.

It is inferred that the deceased patient, a 42 year old man, contracted
rabies in August 2008 when he was bitten by a sick fox. He did not
immediately seek medical treatment and was admitted to hospital only much
later, when his condition had deteriorated. He died on 31 Dec 2008.

communicated by:
ProMED-RUS


[There has been an increase in the number of human cases of rabies in
several Russian regions. According to official statistics the number of
[fatal] cases of rabies virus infection increased from 5 during 11 months
of 2007 to 15 for the same period of 2008. - Mod.NP

An interactive map of the regions of Russia can be accessed at
. The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map
of Russia is available at
- Mod.CP]