RABIES, RACCOON - USA (MASSACHUSETTS)
{{Everyone remember the rabies fears? This will make your hair stand up on the back of your neck!}}
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org Date: 4 Mar 2004
A 10-year stand by state and local health officials against rabies on Cape Cod broke down this week when an infected raccoon was found in Bourne.
State health officials confirmed the case yesterday, after testing [the brain of] the battle-scarred raccoon captured by Michael Tarlow at his residence on Monday. The barking of Tarlow's dogs did not scare off the sickly looking raccoon. Normal raccoons would be deterred from a yard with barking dogs.
Tarlow called the Bourne Department of Natural Resources, but the raccoon was gone by the time anyone could respond.
When the raccoon returned Monday morning, more listless than before and with discharge visible on the bridge of its nose, Tarlow dropped a plastic recycling bin over it and called the town for help.
A natural resources officer picked up the animal and delivered it to Robert Pritchard of Ace Wildlife Removal Services in Bourne.
The face of the captured raccoon, a 5-year-old male, was scratched and cut, indications that it fought with another animal, Pritchard said.
The animal was euthanized and the body sent to a state lab in Jamaica Plain, MA for testing.
Rabid raccoons have been lifted from the water of the Cape Cod Canal and captured on the north side of the canal in recent years, but never before on the Cape side.
"Nothing had breached the barrier until now," said Bourne Health Agent Cynthia A. Coffin. "Bourne is the sentinel of the Cape."
No domestic animals or humans are believed to have been exposed to the rabid raccoon, Coffin said. But she and other local health officials acknowledged they do not know whether this is an isolated case or if other rabid animals remain at large.
Rabies is a virus that affects the brain and the central nervous system of mammals. It is fatal if not treated quickly. [Animals are not treated to cure rabies, as there is no cure in animals. Animals believed to harbor the
disease are euthanized and the brains tested. Humans who have been exposed may be given immunoglobulins, as a post exposure prophylaxis, which is not actually a treatment. - Mod.TG]
County and state health officials are worried that if rabies encroaches into animal populations on Cape Cod, it could pose a risk to domestic pets and, eventually, people. [Hopefully, they are vaccinating domestic animals
against rabies on a regular basis. This would certainly decrease the risk of spread in both animals and humans. - Mod.TG]
The issue also has "enormous" economic implications for town animal control and health departments, since they will have to investigate, track, and capture animals suspected of being infected, according to Dr. Steven
Rowell, hospital director at Tufts Veterinary School in Grafton. Rowell is the director of the 10-year-old Cape Cod Oral Rabies Vaccination Program, in which researchers have dropped vaccinated bait along both sides of the
Cape Cod Canal to try to keep the disease at bay. [It becomes an economic issue because the Cape Cod area has tremendous tourism income. - Mod.TG]
It is recognized around the nation as a model prevention program, he said.
While there has never been a case of a land mammal with rabies on Cape Cod, rabid bats have lived on or visited the Cape for years, according to Coffin.
Rabies in raccoons and skunks was first seen in Massachusetts in 1992. Rabies in bats has been in the state for much longer.
Since 1992, 3893 animals have tested positive for the disease statewide. Most were raccoons and skunks, followed by far fewer cases in cats, foxes, and woodchucks.
There have been no reported cases of human infection during that time in the state. One case was reported in 1983 in a person infected by a dog in Africa. From 1992 to 2002, 32 cases of rabies in humans from 18 states were
reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This week's confirmed rabies case comes 9 months after state budget cuts trimmed $40 000 from the $100 000 annual Cape Cod oral vaccination program.
State Sen. Robert O'Leary, D-Barnstable, yesterday called the cuts "penny wise and pound foolish," and said the confirmed case proves the full funding was necessary to keep rabies off Cape Cod.
The lab informed Bourne officials yesterday morning the raccoon had tested positive for rabies, according to Dr. Bela Matyas, medical director of the state health department's epidemiology program. Rowell surmised the rabid raccoon walked across one of the bridges spanning
the canal, either foraging for food or because it was already sick and disoriented.
Rowell yesterday said he was not about to concede the region to rabies because of one animal. "I'm not ready to give up yet," he said. "My hope is (other possibly infected animals) will come into contact with animals we
vaccinated last year and it will die out."
Even so, local officials are not taking any chances.
A contingency plan the county and the state have had in place ever since the oral vaccination program began will be implemented. Possibly as early as today, O'Brien, Rowell and a group of volunteers will toss from cars
3500 of the vaccinated 1-square-inch fish meal baits in the area where the sick raccoon was found. If possible, they will go as far as Sandwich and Falmouth, he said.
On Monday, health agents and animal control officers from the Cape's 15 towns will meet to coordinate a Cape-wide response.
Health officials urged residents to make sure their pets' rabies vaccinations are current.
O.K. JustPiper you piqued my curiosity and I did a "little" research on rabies. I also searched for bioterror and rabies, and Islam and their view of dogs.
The article regarding Rabies being the biggest killer of people in China was very surprising. I have included cases of rabies in Africa and the Phillipines, because the track of problems associated with terrorists seems to always present itself in other countries as well as our own. I have only listed a brief listing of the entirety that I found regarding rabies cases around the country.
Muhammad and Dogs - . Muhammad Made Them Akin to Evil Creatures
We see that Muhammad had irrational - superstitious beliefs concerning dogs. Beliefs that make no sense going against modern medicine and science, logic, and practical experience. Here is a quick account of the five points brought up:
1)Muhammad wanted all dogs to be killed, but he allowed dogs to live that served useful, physical purposes to their owners. But, regardless, all black dogs were to be killed because they were a "Satan".
2)Money made from the sale of "non-useful" dogs was a dirty as a prostitute's money.
3)God takes away reward in heaven for Muslims who own dogs as pets.
4)If a dog passes in front of a group of praying people, their prayers are null and void.
5)Angels will not enter a house if it contains a dog, (or a picture of a living creature).
One of the interesting things I heard about this issue, from an Arab man was that the Druze in Lebanon have a tradition that says that when Muhammad was a child, he was bitten by a watchdog - because the dog had caught Muhammad stealing eggs!
This may or may not be true, but it would help to explain Muhammad's attitude toward dogs. Unfortunately, his absurd beliefs about dogs are now part of Islamic "dogma" (no pun intended).
Muhammad had superstitious beliefs about dogs and how they fit into God's world. Muhammad made them akin to evil creatures. This irrationality is now fundamental to Islam. To this day Muslims harass other Muslims who own dogs as pets.
Jesus never taught this type of superstition. Christ's teachings were based upon faith, love, and obedience to God. When Christ taught prayer, He taught that God judges the heart, not the form or outward appearance. When Christ taught about heaven, and it's rewards, He did not state that owning an animal would cost you your good works. Christ's message was simple: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. There were no bizarre legalistic ties put upon that message. Relationship with God consists in purity of heart, not purity of form and external appearance.
http://answering-islam.org.uk/Silas/dogs.htm
It is of course unfashionable to criticize Islam. Still one can't help noting that a culture that hates and mistreats dogs isn't likely to find much common ground with Americans and other Westerners who love and treat dogs as family members. Indeed, part of Islam's contempt for dogs is rooted in the view that canine pets are a manifestation of Western moral corruption.
http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:VUjBGPNX4wcJ:www.townhall.com/columnists/kathleenparker/kp20021204.shtml+%22Islam%22+%22dogs%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Human Rabies Cases Increase in China - #1 Killer Disease
Human rabies cases in China increased nearly 63% during the first 9 months of 2003: killing 1297 people up to the end of September, 2003 - a number which exceeds the 2002 total of 1003 deaths.
Rabies is now the number one killer disease in China: exceeding the death rates of SARS and AIDS.
The China Center for Disease Control and Prevention blames the increased number of deaths on the "mad desire" of citizens to own pets, and the low vaccination rate of these pets. The presence of stray dogs, running wild in suburban and rural areas was also blamed.
While officials are now blaming careless pet owners (pet ownership is still considered a symbol of bourgeois decadence), China has uniform compulsory vaccination laws that are rigidly enforced. If a dog owner cannot produce a certificate of vaccination, the pet is often killed on the spot.
Dogs raised and sold for meat -a highly profitable State enterprise - are exempted from vaccination: the theory being there is no need to expend funds on an animal that is to be slaughtered. The overwhelming majority of rabies cases have been in dog meat production areas, where there are few, if any pets of any sort.
This ambivalence on the part of the government may well be the largest factor in this deadly outbreak.
Source: ProMed, november 26, 2003.
http://www.biohazardnews.net/2003_11_01_archive.shtml
Rabies in humans are rare, but it is always deadly. Thirty-seven human cases have been reported in the United States since 1990, according to the CDC.
Rabies is usually transmitted via bites or scratches from infected dogs, cats, bats, foxes, skunks, coyotes and bobcats.
The CDC reported three rabies deaths in the United States in 2002, one in 2001 and five in 2000. The Virginia case is the only death reported so far in 2003.
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=39186
- Rabies verified in southern Chester County (Pennsylvania) Mar 04 5:08 PM The incident occurred in the late afternoon of Jan. 29 when Bob Pierson, of Landenberg, let his 10-pound Yorkshire terrier, 'Nicky,' out in his back yard. ... Rabies verified in southern Chester County By: David Kisela 03/04/2004 Fourth infected raccoon reported this year With a ...
- Cat tests positive for rabies after biting Lumberton officer Charlotte Observer - Jan 30 4:02 PMLUMBERTON, N.C. - A stray cat has tested positive for rabies after scratching one and biting a Lumberton police officer.Officer Duane Hunter, was bitten Jan. 24 when he captured the cat.
- Rabies case No. 5 reported; stray beagle has to be euthanized
(Salisbury Post, North Carolina)03/01/04
http://salisburypost.townnews.com/articles/2004/03/01/news/01-rabies_case-number_5.txt - Raccoon tests positive for rabies (Venice Gondolier, FL)
02/28/04
http://obsentinel.womacknewspapers.com/articles/2004/02/21/top_stories/2fox.txt - Eight rabies cases confirmed in Dare County (Outer Banks, North Carolina)03-05-04
http://obsentinel.womacknewspapers.com/articles/2004/02/21/top_stories/2fox.txt - Dog tests positive for rabies in Molino area
Elk Valley Times, TN - Feb 24, 2004
- Rabies warning issued after Garrison woman is attacked by raccoon Putnam County Courier, NY - Feb 26, 2004
- PUPPY TESTS POSITIVE FOR RABIES
Tyler Morning Telegraph, TX - Feb 6, 2004
The first domestic dog in Smith County to test positive for rabies in recent years
was reported Friday by the Northeast Texas Public Health District, resulting ...
- Rabies cases not yet crisis in the Valley
Arizona Republic, AZ - Feb 3, 2004
It sounds scary that a bobcat and a fox with rabies recently were found
near Cave Creek. Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects ...
- Raccoon With Rabies Found In Hamilton County
The Chattanoogan, TN - Feb 2, 2004
A raccoon that was killed in a fight with a dog in the Tyner/Highway 58 area has
- More rabies cases feared
Times Picayune, LA - Feb 6, 2004
... A cat brought in to the St. Bernard animal shelter early Thursday showed
potential signs of rabies, shelter operators said. Residents ...
- THIRD POSITIVE TEST FOR RABIES CONFIRMED
Tyler Morning Telegraph, TX - Feb 9, 2004
The third animal testing positive for rabies in Smith County this
-Zamboanga alarmed over increase of rabies deaths
Mindanao Times, Philippines - Feb 17, 2004
Four people had died of rabies last year from out of the 916 recorded cases of dog
bites in this city, or an alarming 50-percent increase in mortality compared ...
- Stray cat found in Charlotte neighborhood has rabies, vet ... WCNC (subscription), NC - Feb 16, 2004
By WCNC.com Staff. A stray cat turned into the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police
Animal Control Bureau last week has rabies, police said Monday. ...
- Second and third rabies cases confirmed
Palm Beach Post, FL - Feb 10, 2004
... range and a raccoon that lost a fight with a dog in suburban West Palm Beach have
been confirmed to be this year's second and third rabies-infected animals in ...
- Biè: Rabies Reaches Alarming Proportions At Kamacupa District AllAfrica.com, Africa - Feb 17, 2004
... Local health sources informed that, last month, dogs infected with rabies have
bitten at least four people at Piloto locality, outskirts of Kuito city. ...
- Ill-fated skunk becomes county's first '04 rabies case
Brattleboro Reformer, VT - Feb 4, 2004
... A wild chase at a Terrace Street residence on Friday ended with a dead skunk,
a smelly yard and the county's first confirmed case of rabies this year. ...
CDC Info on Skunk and Raccoon Rabies in the Eastern United States:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol9no9/02-0608-G4.htm