RABIES, RAT, HUMAN EXPOSURE - UKRAINE

RABIES, RAT, HUMAN EXPOSURE - UKRAINE
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A ProMED-mail post

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


Date: Wed 15 April 2009
Source: Komsomolskaya Pravda [translated by Mod.NR, edited]


Rabies outbreak in Energodar city
---------------------------------
Basements of apartments in Energodar city are being disinfested from
rats and mice. By the end of the month veterinarians should have
vaccinated all domestic animals against rabies. The reason for these
measures is the result of capture of a rat by taxi drivers. One of
the taxi drivers was attacked by a rat that appeared on on the street
outside an apartment block. The rat was killed and brought for
investigation. Subsequently it was confirmed that the rat had rabies.
The taxi driver [who was attacked] will be getting anti-rabies shots,
while 2 neighborhoods will be under quarantine.

According to Valentina Stulova, the head of the veterinary
department, these measures are being undertaken to prevent the spread
of rabies. However it is not considered an emergency situation. These
measures are standard practice and there is no threat for the
population. However it is quite rare to have rabid rats in this
region since usually rabies is associated with feral and abandoned
dogs. One case of rabies in a bat has been recorded in this region.
Nonetheless strict surveillance will be maintained for 2 months.

Communicated by:
ProMED-RUS


[Rabid rats attacking people is rare in this region. Fortunately
prompt action has prevented further human exposure. According to OIE
there were 8 cases of rabies in Russia in 2007. - Mod.NR]

[Rabies is rarely reported in rats, and rodents are these animals are
unlikely to the primary source of this outbreak. In a city
environment rabies-infected dogs and cats are more likely to be the
primary source of the infection. The city of Energodar is in the
Ukraine and can be located in the interactive map at:
. - Mod.CP]

[At first it is difficult to perceive how a rat would acquire a
rabies infection. If attacked by another rabid mammal the rat would
come off 2nd, i.e dead , even if it did not acquire an overwhelming
infection resulting in a rapid death. Being bitten by another rat
does not solve the question either. This leaves us with the
possibility it found a moribund rabid bat and ate it, just as cats do
and with the same result. It would be interesting to know if the
Ukraine authorities have attempted to type the rat virus and thus
identify a possible source in this unusual case. - Mod. MHJ]

RABIES - RUSSIA: (SARATOV, NISHEGORDSKY, UDMURTIA)

RABIES - RUSSIA: (SARATOV, NISHEGORDSKY, UDMURTIA)
*************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

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


******
[1]
Date: 10 Apr 2009
Source: news.sarbc.ru [translated and abbreviated by Mod.NP, edited]


Rabies, animals - Russia (Samara region)
----------------------------------------
In 2008, 305 cases of animal rabies were reported. In addition there
was 1 human case reported in Balashov, and in 2 further human cases
the people were severely attacked by rabid animals -- a girl in
Vyazovka and a guard in the Volsky districts.

On April 9 [presumably in 2009 - Mod.MHJ] the expert council of the
regional government reviewed 2 laws on keeping domestic dogs and cats
and about administrative responsibility for its contravention.

Communicated by:
ProMED-RUS

******
(2)
Date: 10 Apr 2009
Source: IA: "AIF-nn.ru", 2009 [translated and abbreviated by Mod.NP, edited]


Rabies, animals - Russia (Nizhegorodskiy region)
-------------------------------------------------
During the 1st 3 months of this year, 2009, 28 cases of rabies
[presumably animal rabies - Mod.MHJ] have been reported but for the
whole of 2008 there were only 27 animal rabies cases.

Dmitriy Nikulin, Deputy head of bureau of State Veterinary
Supervision, said that the increased incidence is connected with a
rise in the number the carrier infections. For example, the fox
population has grown from 5000 to 8000 animals. In relation to
climatic and ecological factors the most unfavorable areas for rabies
are in the central and southern districts.

During 2001-2009 years rabies has been reported in 338 animals: 227
foxes; 51 dogs; 34 cats; 3 horses; and 3 goats. Because of the
worsening situation funding for rabies vaccinations has been
increased.

[Byline: Olga Petrova]

Communicated by:
ProMED-RUS

******
(3)
Date: 10 Apr 2009
Source: IA: "Media-centre Alfa-PR" [translated and abbreviated by
Mod.NP, edited]


Rabies, animals - Russia (Udmurtia)
-----------------------------------
Acccording to Rospotrebnadzor data as of 9 Apr 2009, 13 cases of
rabies have been recorded this year in Udmurtia, which is more than
for all of last year. About 77 percent of all these cases have been
in foxes. The affected districts are Alnashsky, Uvinsky, Grakhovsky,
Mozhginsky, Vavozhsky, Balezinsky and Karakulinsky.

Communicated by:
Natalia Pshenichnaya, ProMED Russian Moderator

[According to OIE WAHID in 2007 Russia reported 8 human rabies cases;
there were no reports submitted for 2005, 2006 or 2008, which is not
to say that rabies cases did not occur. The disease is widespread in
Russian domestic animals and wildlife with 3679 recorded cases in
2005; 876 in the 1st half of 2006 -- no reports for the latter half;
44572 (2007); 2989 (2008).
- Mod.MHJ]

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

RABIES, FOX, HUMAN - RUSSIA: (MOSCOW REGION)
********************************************
A ProMED-mail post

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]

Rabies, Russia .. sobering numbers to consider

RABIES, ANIMAL - RUSSIA: (NOVOSIBIRSKAYA OBLAST
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post

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


Date: Sun 14 Dec 2008
Source: Gorod54 News Agency [translated by Corr.ATS, edited]



Animal rabies and rabies control in the Novosibirskaya Oblast
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In total 128 000 cats and dogs and more than 70 000 cattle have been
vaccinated in the Novosibirkaya Oblast. Since the beginning of this
year 64 rabies cases have been registered among wild and domestic
animals in the Novosibirskaya Oblast. These cases are from 56 places
in 20 rural regions and in the Novosibirsk [city] region itself.
Rabies has been laboratory confirmed in 39 foxes, 10 dogs, 8 cattle,
3 cats, 2 rats, 1 sheep and 1 raccoon dog. Most cases were observed
in the Toguchinski region.

The incidence of rabies in foxes has increased in the Moshkovsoe,
Kupinsoe, Tatarskoe regions compared to data for the previous month.
For the 1st time a case has occurred in the the Kuybishevskoe region.
According to surveillance data released by the Oblast branch of
Rosselkhoznadzor [the Federal Service for Veterinary and
Phytosanitary Surveillance] 128 000 dogs and 70 000 cattle have been
vaccinated as a preventive measure.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-RUS


[The detection of rabies virus infection in rats is unusual and
further details of the circumstances would be appreciated.

An interactive map of Russia showing the location of the
Novosibirskaya Oblast can be accessed at:
. - Mod.CP]

provided by Air Animal Pet Movers for relocating pet owners to understand the global ramifications and implications of Rabies in the wildlife.