Rabies, Wildlife, Equine, Human Exposure - USA (02) : (North Carolina, Georgia)

RABIES, WILDLIFE, EQUINE, HUMAN EXPOSURE - USA (02): (NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA)
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A ProMED-mail post

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


Date: Fri 10 Apr 2009
From: David Dassey


This is regarding the moderator's comment on
Rabies, wildlife, equine, human exposure - USA: (NC, GA) 20090409.1364
on the statement, "[The patient] 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 patient was probably referring to the number of needle insertions
to administer rabies immune globulin (RIG) in addition to vaccine
dose number 1. This is a common finding when interviewing bite
victims who present to a different healthcare provider for completion
of the PEP series. Many patients are unable to tell what was
administered, only how many sticks they received (a good reason for
giving the patient the package inserts and a written treatment
record). The other clue is the site of the multiple injections -- if
the needles infiltrated the bite wound(s), the substance delivered
was certainly RIG.

David Dassey


[The writer from LA County Public Health is almost certainly correct.
The patient only spoke of shots, not specifically of vaccine shots. I
made the mistake of inserting the word [vaccine] and extrapolated
incorrectly from that. - Mod.JW]

Rabies, Canine, Human - South Africa : (Eastern Cape) Suspected

RABIES, CANINE, HUMAN - SOUTH AFRICA: (EASTERN CAPE) SUSPECTED
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A ProMED-mail post

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


Date: Fri 16 Jan 2009
Source: Independent online, SAPA report [edited]


Suspected rabies outbreak in Eastern Cape
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The Eastern Cape Department of Health officials were attending to a
suspected rabies outbreak in Mgwenyane village near Libode on Friday 16 Jan
2009, the department said. Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the department
had dispatched an outbreak team to the village after at least 8 people were
bitten by 2 dogs in the village.

One of the dogs attacked its owner and then bit 5 other people before
running away. The other dog bit 2 people and also ran away. The dogs were
believed to have fled into a nearby forest. All the people who had been
bitten were identified and taken to a nearby hospital where they were being
treated for dog bites and receiving anti-rabies medication.

The outbreak team was on the scene informing people to treat all dogs in
the area with suspicion. "We are urging those who had been bitten to come
forward and be treated with immediate effect," Kupelo said. The suspected
outbreak was reported to the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture. The
Department was responsible for immunising dogs in the area and would help
with further investigations. Kupelo said that the Department only suspected
that the dogs suffered from rabies but that further investigation would
reveal the facts. The ages of the people bitten ranged from 4 to 66 years old.

communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail


[Although the diagnosis of rabies virus infection has not been confirmed by
laboratory tests, it is highly probable that the diagnosis will be
confirmed in view of the frequency of reports of rabies from this province
of South Africa. That said, this report suggests that the risk of
contracting rabies virus infection from feral dogs may be of no greater
concern than some of the social practices prevalent in the region.

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of South Africa is available at
. A map showing the provinces
of south Africa can be accessed at
, and the
location of the city of Libode can be found at
. - Mod.CP]

Rabies, Bat, Feline & Human Exposure - USA: (Illinois)

RABIES, BAT, FELINE AND HUMAN EXPOSURE - USA: (ILLINOIS)
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A ProMED-mail post

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


Date: Sun 11 Jan 2009
Source: Shavedlongcock.blogspot.com [edited]


The discovery of a rabid bat in the Lincoln Square neighborhood prompted
the city late on Saturday [10 Jan 2008] to issue a warning against any
contact with bats or other wild animals. On Wed 7 Jan 2009, a house cat
discovered the bat in an apartment near Lawrence and Western Avenues and
woke up a man and woman in the dwelling, according to the Chicago
Department of Public Health. The couple saw the bat lying on the floor and
trapped it with a bucket, and then called staff from Chicago Animal Care
and Control to remove it.

Analysis of the bat's carcass this week by the Illinois Department of
Public Health showed the bat had rabies, and, as a precaution, the man and
the woman are undergoing medical treatment, a series of 5 vaccinations
spread out over a 28 day period. "Rabies should never, under any
circumstances, be taken lightly," CDPH [Chicago Department of Public
Health] commissioner Terry Mason said in a release sent Saturday [10 Jan
2008] night. "This is a deadly viral disease that attacks the nervous
system. There is no effective treatment for rabies once symptoms have
started. At that point, it is fatal." But a rabies infection can be
prevented with early treatment, "so that makes it vitally important that
anyone exposed to a bat seek medical care right away," he said.

People can get rabies from the bite of an infected warm-blooded animal,
such as a bat, raccoon, skunk, coyote, feral cat, or domestic animals. In a
typical year, about 2 or 3 rabid bats are detected in the city, according
to the CDPH. People who find a bat in their house should immediately leave
the room where the bat is, close the door behind them and call 911.

communicated by:
ProMED-Mail rapporteur Susan Baekeland

[The species of the bat and fate of the cat are not disclosed. - Mod.CP]