Brad Buckley, D.V.M.
July 26th, 2010, 2:12 PM
I received the following from the Bell County Public Health District and I think it is really good information and will serve us all well:
Through July 21, 2010 five animal rabies suspects tested "positive" for rabies. Three of the cases were in unvaccinated cats:
1. January - skunk - Killeen area
2. May - cat - Temple/ Rogers area
3. June - skunk - Temple area
4. July - cat - Killeen
5. July - cat - Holland area
In the past two years, the confirmed animal rabies case totals in Bell County were:
2009 - 6 (5 skunks, 1 cow)
2008 - 8 (5 skunks, 3 bats)
The case numbers above represent only those animals that were reported to animal control or veterinary practices and then submitted for rabies testing. As such, these positives are the "tip of the iceberg" in regards to the total numbers of rabid animals in Bell County. More rabies cases occur in nature than are proven "positive" through laboratory testing.
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Rabies is spread between animals. The virus is located in the infected animal's saliva and in its central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Rabies is transmitted to animals (and people) through bites and scratches after the saliva is inoculated into the wound. Rabies theoretically can infect an unvaccinated animal or person after the rabid animal's saliva touches the mucous membranes of the face (mouth, eyes, nostrils).
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Please remind the public to:
1. Vaccinate domestic animals regularly and in accordance with local law and their veterinarians' guidance. The law mandates that all dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies. Horses and livestock should also be vaccinated.
2. Avoid stray animals. Don't feed stray animals, because feeding encourages strays to stay around homes and businesses.
3. Report loose domestic animals to their animal control agency, or carefully transport the stray animal to their city or county animal shelter.
4. Report all animal bites (and scratches - if saliva gets into the wound) to their local animal control agency. Without exception, biting dogs and cats must be quarantined for rabies observation for 10 days after the bite, or they must be humanely euthanized and tested for rabies.
5. Report strange-acting wildlife (especially the five high-risk rabies species: skunks, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, and bats) to their local animal control agency. Rabies may cause these normally nocturnal animals to be active during the day, approach homes and pets without fear, and initiate aggressive attacks towards people and pets. Sometimes, as a rabid animal begins to die from its illness, it will appear sluggish or sleepy.
6. Don't provide medical care for injured animals without veterinary oversight and public health input. Unvaccinated animals attacked by skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes or ones that have been around bats could develop rabies. Rabid domestic animals place human lives at risk, because many people have a tendency to overlook getting rabies from dogs,cats, horses, and livestock.
Two of the three Bell County rabid cats were young kittens. In one case the kitten was among a litter of kittens attacked by a skunk. In the other incident, the skunk crawled onto a porch with the kitten and its littermates. Both times the skunks got away.
Following these events, it would have been preferable to humanely euthanize all the kittens. Instead, Good Samaritans, not realizing the rabies risk, cared for them in their homes. After the two kittens died and tested "positive" for rabies, the exposed caregivers were referred to their physicians for the postexposure rabies vaccination series (human rabies immune globulin and several doses of rabies vaccine). Those injections are necessary to prevent human rabies deaths.
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DSHS anticipates that more animal rabies cases will occur throughout Bell County during the remainder of 2010. Cases may occur in rural, suburban, and urban settings.
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Beverlee E. Nix, DVM, MPH
Department of State Health Services Region 7
Zoonosis Control Veterinarian
2408 S. 37th St.
Temple, TX 76504
P: (254) 778-6744
F: (254) 773-9358
Through July 21, 2010 five animal rabies suspects tested "positive" for rabies. Three of the cases were in unvaccinated cats:
1. January - skunk - Killeen area
2. May - cat - Temple/ Rogers area
3. June - skunk - Temple area
4. July - cat - Killeen
5. July - cat - Holland area
In the past two years, the confirmed animal rabies case totals in Bell County were:
2009 - 6 (5 skunks, 1 cow)
2008 - 8 (5 skunks, 3 bats)
The case numbers above represent only those animals that were reported to animal control or veterinary practices and then submitted for rabies testing. As such, these positives are the "tip of the iceberg" in regards to the total numbers of rabid animals in Bell County. More rabies cases occur in nature than are proven "positive" through laboratory testing.
----------------------------
Rabies is spread between animals. The virus is located in the infected animal's saliva and in its central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Rabies is transmitted to animals (and people) through bites and scratches after the saliva is inoculated into the wound. Rabies theoretically can infect an unvaccinated animal or person after the rabid animal's saliva touches the mucous membranes of the face (mouth, eyes, nostrils).
----------------------------
Please remind the public to:
1. Vaccinate domestic animals regularly and in accordance with local law and their veterinarians' guidance. The law mandates that all dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies. Horses and livestock should also be vaccinated.
2. Avoid stray animals. Don't feed stray animals, because feeding encourages strays to stay around homes and businesses.
3. Report loose domestic animals to their animal control agency, or carefully transport the stray animal to their city or county animal shelter.
4. Report all animal bites (and scratches - if saliva gets into the wound) to their local animal control agency. Without exception, biting dogs and cats must be quarantined for rabies observation for 10 days after the bite, or they must be humanely euthanized and tested for rabies.
5. Report strange-acting wildlife (especially the five high-risk rabies species: skunks, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, and bats) to their local animal control agency. Rabies may cause these normally nocturnal animals to be active during the day, approach homes and pets without fear, and initiate aggressive attacks towards people and pets. Sometimes, as a rabid animal begins to die from its illness, it will appear sluggish or sleepy.
6. Don't provide medical care for injured animals without veterinary oversight and public health input. Unvaccinated animals attacked by skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes or ones that have been around bats could develop rabies. Rabid domestic animals place human lives at risk, because many people have a tendency to overlook getting rabies from dogs,cats, horses, and livestock.
Two of the three Bell County rabid cats were young kittens. In one case the kitten was among a litter of kittens attacked by a skunk. In the other incident, the skunk crawled onto a porch with the kitten and its littermates. Both times the skunks got away.
Following these events, it would have been preferable to humanely euthanize all the kittens. Instead, Good Samaritans, not realizing the rabies risk, cared for them in their homes. After the two kittens died and tested "positive" for rabies, the exposed caregivers were referred to their physicians for the postexposure rabies vaccination series (human rabies immune globulin and several doses of rabies vaccine). Those injections are necessary to prevent human rabies deaths.
----------------------------
DSHS anticipates that more animal rabies cases will occur throughout Bell County during the remainder of 2010. Cases may occur in rural, suburban, and urban settings.
----------------------------
Beverlee E. Nix, DVM, MPH
Department of State Health Services Region 7
Zoonosis Control Veterinarian
2408 S. 37th St.
Temple, TX 76504
P: (254) 778-6744
F: (254) 773-9358