Researchers’ discovery may explain difficulty in treating LYME DISEASE ~ MASSACHUSETTS teenager attacked by BLACK BEAR ~ Young girl is NEW MEXICO’s first human case of WEST NILE VIRUS ~ Two RABBITS positive for TULAREMIA in NEW MEXICO ~ RABIES reports from GA & SC.

Global 06/01/15 medicalexpress.com: Excerpts – “Northeastern University researchers have found that the bacterium that causes Lyme disease forms dormant persister cells, which are known to evade antibiotics. This significant finding, they said, could help explain why it’s so difficult to treat the infection in some patients.”

“In addition to identifying the presence of these persister cells, Lewis’ team also presented two methods for wiping out the infection—both of which were successful in lab tests. One involved an anti-cancer agent called Mitomycin C, which completely eradicated all cultures of the bacterium in one fell swoop. However, Lewis stressed that, given Mitomycin C’s toxicity, it isn’t a recommended option for treating Lyme disease, though his team’s findings are useful to helping to better understand the disease.

Kim Lewis, University Distinguished Professor and Director of the Antimicrobial Discovery Center in the College of Science.

“The second approach, which Lewis noted is much more practical, involved pulse-dosing an antibiotic to eliminate persisters. The researchers introduced the antibiotic a first time, which killed the growing cells but not the dormant persisters. But once the antibiotic washed away, the persisters woke up, and before they had time to restore their population the researchers hit them with the antibiotic again. Four rounds of antibiotic treatments completely eradicated the persisters in a test tube.”

” Lewis and his colleagues presented their findings in a paper published online last week in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.” – For complete article see http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-06-discovery-difficulty-lyme-disease.html

BLACK BEAR:

Massachusetts 06/01/15 bostonherald.com: A western Massachusetts teenager says she feels lucky after suffering just minor injuries in a bear attack. Seventeen-year-old Carly Hall of Belchertown tells The Daily Hampshire Gazette (http://bit.ly/1K44KMz ) she was walking a family friend’s dog with three other teens in Amherst on Saturday night when they encountered a black bear. The teens scattered, but the bear followed Hall, who had the dog on a leash. She let go of the leash when the bear got too close, and the dog ran. She says the bear scraped her back twice before she jumped on the roof of a parked car and the bear went after the fleeing dog. – See http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/06/massachusetts_teen_taken_to_hospital_after_bear_attack

WEST NILE VIRUS (WNV):

New Mexico 05/29/15 Valencia County: A 12-year-old girl is the first to be diagnosed with WNV in the state this year. Though she was reported to have the more serious form of the illness, neuroinvasive disease, she is now home recovering. – See article at http://krqe.com/2015/05/29/12-year-old-girl-diagnosed-with-first-human-case-of-west-nile-in-2015/

TULAREMIA (RABBIT FEVER):

New Mexico 05/29/15 Santa Fe County: Two rabbits found in the vicinity of the City of Santa Fe have tested positive for tularemia, a disease most commonly carried by rabbits and rodents in the wild. Pets such as dogs and cats often become infected. – See http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/29/2-rabbits-from-santa-fe-area-test-positive-for-tul/

RABIES:

Georgia 05/29/15 Henry County: A Stockbridge family of eight is undergoing rabies treatments after interacting with an infected cat. Henry County Animal Control supervisor Vince Farah said a rabies alert was issued Tuesday after multiple members of a family reported being bitten or scratched by a cat that later tested positive for the virus, according to multiple news outlets. Walter McElreath says he was scratched by the cat, which his family had interacted with for a few months, while trying to get it into a cage. All eight members of McElreath’s family, including six children, will begin rabies treatments in the next several days. – See http://wabe.org/post/henry-county-family-8-undergoing-rabies-treatments

South Carolina 05/29/15 Abbeville County: Four people have been referred to their health care providers for consultation after being exposed to rabies in (the city of) Abbeville by a sheep that tested positive for the disease, the Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today. The sheep was potentially exposed to an aggressive skunk, which was not available for testing, roughly one month ago. Three of the four victims provided routine husbandry care for the sheep. The fourth victim was potentially exposed on May 25, 2015. The sheep tested positive for rabies on May 27. – For complete article see http://thetandd.com/news/sheep-exposes-four-to-rabies/article_6dfdc8f5-c118-5b93-95fb-0970d8704d8c.html

BLACK BEAR attacks FLORIDA teenager ~ TEXAS reports fifth HANTAVIRUS case this year ~ NEW YORK scientists develop VACCINE to fight CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ~ LYME DISEASE cases in NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND remain high.

Black bear. Photo by Cephas. Wikimedia Commons.

Florida 12/21/14 mypanhandle.com provided by FL Fish & Wildlife: A 15-year-old is currently undergoing surgery after being attacked by a bear in Eastpoint, Florida. According to her mother the teenager sustained significant injuries to her legs, back, neck and face and was transported to Bay Medical Sacred Heart in Panama City. “Even as I sit here now I can’t believe what happened,” said Sherry Mann, the girl’s mother. “The bears are all over the place and I know how hard I would fight to protect my kids, but a momma bear can do so much more damage than me with just one swipe.” Mann says her daughter was walking her dog by the Big Top Supermarket off Highway 98 when she says she saw a dark shadow and then black. She says her daughter was dragged into a nearby ditch by the bear and tried screaming for help. Sherry Mann said her daughter Leah Reeder remembered to “play dead” and as she did her dog came to her rescue lunging at the animal. The bear retreated to the nearby woods and Reeder was able to walk home to her father’s house, which was a block away. “The worst injuries are to her face,” said Mann. “She has a huge laceration on top of her head and one across her forehead and deep, deep puncture wounds to the side of her head.” As of midnight Monday morning Reeder had been in surgery nearly two hours. – See http://www.mypanhandle.com/story/d/story/15-year-old-reportedly-attacked-by-bear-in-east-po/13441/COd76GVsPkK409SP2VqWJw

HANTAVIRUS:

Texas 12/22/14 outbreaknewstoday.com: The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)is reporting a case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in a resident of the Golden Crescent region along the central Texas coast. This is the fifth case of hantavirus this year in the state. Hantavirus is carried by certain species of rats and mice that shed the virus in their urine, droppings and saliva. The virus can be transmitted to people by stirring up nesting materials or contaminated dust, allowing the virus to be breathed in by humans. Cases have been linked to cleaning out buildings where rodents live and working in dusty environments like ranches and oilfields . . . A total of 43 HPS cases have been confirmed in Texas since 1993, the first year the disease was detected. Of those, 14 were fatal. – For complete article see http://outbreaknewstoday.com/texas-reports-5th-hantavirus-case-of-2014/

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE:

Global 12/21/14 medicalxpress.com: Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and elsewhere say that a vaccination they have developed to fight a brain-based, wasting syndrome among deer and other animals may hold promise on two additional fronts: Protecting U.S. livestock from contracting the disease, and preventing similar brain infections in humans. The study, to be published in Vaccine online Dec. 21, documents a scientific milestone: The first successful vaccination of deer against chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal brain disorder caused by unusual infectious proteins known as prions. Prions propagate by converting otherwise healthy proteins into a disease state.

Equally important, the researchers say, this study may hold promise against human diseases suspected to be caused by prion infections, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, familial insomnia, and variably protease-sensitive prionopathy. Some studies also have associated prion-like infections with Alzheimer’s disease. “Now that we have found that preventing prion infection is possible in animals, it’s likely feasible in humans as well,” says senior study investigator and neurologist Thomas Wisniewski, MD, a professor at NYU Langone. CWD afflicts as much as 100 percent of North America’s captive deer population, as well as large numbers of other cervids that populate the plains and forests of the Northern Hemisphere, including wild deer, elk, caribou and moose. There is growing concern among scientists that CWD could possibly spread to livestock in the same regions, especially cattle, a major life stream for the U.S. economy, in much the same manner that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or Mad Cow Disease, another prion-based infection, spread through the United Kingdom almost two decades ago. – See http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-12-successful-vaccination-mad-cow-like-disease.html

LYME DISEASE:

New England 12/21/14 bostonglobe.com: by Patrick Whittle – Environmental factors and improved reporting methods led to another year of high totals for Lyme disease in northern New England. Reported cases are expected to be on par with, or exceed, records set recently in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Maine is likely to exceed last year’s record of 1,384 cases of the tick-borne illness, said Sheila Pinette, director of the state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Vermont officials said their state is on track for its second- or third-highest total on record, following the 2013 high of 671. In New Hampshire, officials said numbers are falling in line with recent years, which included a record in 2013. – For complete article see http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/12/21/numerous-reports-lyme-disease-new-england/IxOdrlSz0P8MQjQu2U8t7J/story.html

DEER HUNTERS in PENNSYLVANIA face new reality: CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ~ NORTH DAKOTA researchers confirm local TICKS carrying LYME DISEASE ~ US Army enlists COWS with human genes to fight HANTAVIRUS.

Whitetail buck. Courtesy National Park Service.

Pennsylvania 11/30/14 citizensvoice.com: by Kent Jackson – Hunters entering the woods in Pennsylvania on Monday for the start of the rifle deer season face a new realty. Some of the deer that they pursue carry an incurable, fatal disease. Chronic wasting disease appeared in a deer in Pennsylvania in 2012 after advancing through 21 other states and two provinces of Canada. “From other states regardless of what you do, you can’t eliminate it. It is there to stay once it’s on the landscape,” Matthew Hough, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said during a conference call with reporters on Nov. 19. The commission set special rules for three areas of the state where deer tested positive for the disease. Hunters cannot transport parts of the deer such as the brain, spinal cord, lymph nodes, spleen and eyeballs out of those areas. Nor can they feed deer or use urine-based lures, which bring deer close together where the risk of spreading the disease heightens.

Whitetail buck with CWD.

In the rest of the state, hunters should take precautions such as wearing gloves, boning out meat, and minimizing contact with high-risk parts when they field dress deer. The rifle season starts Monday and concludes Dec. 13. In most of the state, hunters can take bucks through Friday, but they can hunt a buck or a doe from Saturday to the end of the season. The buck-only territory for the first five days includes Hazleton and parts of Schuylkill, Carbon and Columbia counties in Wildlife Management Unit 4C and 13 other WMUs. Nine WMUs have buck and doe hunting throughout the two-week season. While there is no evidence that chronic wasting disease affects humans, research isn’t conclusive, and hunters are advised not to eat meat from infected animals. – For complete article including PA contacts for CWD testing see http://citizensvoice.com/sports/it-is-here-to-stay-here-to-stay-1.1795223

LYME DISEASE:

North Dakota 11/25/14 prairiebizmag.com: by Anna Burleson – Lyme disease has been found in ticks in the Red River Valley by several researchers at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. The disease is transmitted through the bites of a certain breed of infected tick and if left untreated can spread throughout a person’s nervous system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

UND Biology Department professor Jefferson Vaughan led a team with assistant professor Catherine Brissette from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences to look into the prevalence of the disease after he discovered local veterinarians had seen “different-looking” ticks on pets they were treating. “People are beginning to really realize particularly that dogs and sometimes cats are sentinels for types of diseases that are normally wildlife diseases, but can also cause diseases in humans,” Vaughan said.

American Dog Tick

The breed of tick most frequently found in the Red River Valley is commonly called an American Dog Tick and is known for its large brown appearance.Vaughan and graduate student Nate Russart began investigating the appearance of the much smaller Deer Tick, as it’s commonly known, in 2010 and discovered the ticks were carrying Lyme disease.

Deer Tick

But Vaughan said the discovery simply means people should be more diligent about searching themselves for the presence of ticks after being in fields or forests. “It used to be an annoyance, just like mosquitoes were ten years ago, but now they’re more than an annoyance,” he said. “It’s a public health issue.” – For complete article see http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/21810/#sthash.zBpHdMsR.dpuf

HANTAVIRUS:

Global 11/26/14 sciencemag.org: by David Shultz – Humans have been using antibody therapies to treat infectious disease for more than 100 years. Blood plasma from influenza survivors administered to sick patients in 1912 may have contributed to their dramatic turnaround. In the years since, immune proteins from survivors have been administered to infected individuals in an attempt to combat diseases like Lassa fever, SARS, and even Ebola.

It’s hard, however, to find survivors who can donate plasma containing these lifesaving immune proteins. Now, a team led by researchers at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Frederick, Maryland, has used genetically engineered cows to produce large amounts of human antibodies against hantavirus, an often deadly disease mainly transmitted from rodents to people. In animal models, at least, these antibodies provided robust protection against the virus, opening the door to therapies to treat and prevent hantavirus, for which there is no cure. The bioproduction technique also holds promise for generating antibodies against other infectious agents. – For complete article see http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/11/cows-human-chromosomes-enlisted-fight-hantavirus

COYOTE attacks NEW HAMPSHIRE WOMAN walking 90 pound DOG ~ Are GRAY WOLVES returning to GRAND CANYON? ~ Scientists say new device filters EBOLA VIRUS from patient’s blood.

Stalking coyote. Courtesy U.S. National Park Service.

New Hampshire 11/17/14 seacoastline.com: by Jason Schreiber – A woman and her dog are recovering after they were attacked by a vicious coyote while walking in a field on their property Monday morning. The woman was returning to her house on Post Road in Greenland around 9:15 a.m. after taking her dog out for a morning walk when the two were attacked. “It came charging across the field and was hell-bent on attacking them,” said the woman’s husband, who was armed with a gun when he rushed to their aid. The attack happened in an open field on the property about 100 yards from the house. The woman’s husband, who asked that their names be withheld, said he was inside their house when he heard his wife screaming. He jumped into his pickup truck and raced over to help. As he drove toward them, he kept thinking, “I’ve got to get this coyote away from them and I’ve got to be careful.” Coyotes have been seen around the property many times before, but this was the first time one has attacked. He estimated the coyote weighed about 60 pounds; it was the largest he’s seen.

“It was very aggressive. I have never ever seen a coyote attack a person and a 90-pound dog. He was attacking them for a full 10 minutes. He was just circling and circling,” he said. His wife tried to fend it off while the couple’s dog, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, struggled to protect her. “There was something wrong with it,” she said of the coyote. “It just charged at us.” Her husband said he fired his gun at the coyote a few times but missed. The gunshots eventually scared the animal off. His wife and the dog then got into the truck while the coyote scurried away. She suffered bites on her hand and leg while the dog received multiple bite wounds. The dog was rushed to a local veterinarian while she was brought to Portsmouth Regional Hospital for treatment. – For complete article see http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20141117/NEWS/141119277/101143/NEWS

GRAY WOLVES:

Arizona 11/15/14 azcentral.com: by E.J. Montini – I picture him loping south through the forest on the Kaibab Plateau, a chill wind pushing through the ponderosa pines and blue spruce, as if whispering to the other animals — elk, deer, squirrels, even mountain lions — that an ancient presence has returned. There are roads through the forest but he does not follow them. He stays in the shadows where the ground is cold and hard. He keeps moving, alert, determined, until the trees thin out, the sky opens up and the land seems to disappear in front of him. He stops at the edge of a great chasm, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is not wise of him to be out in the open. There are buildings nearby. Solid, rough-hewn structures of stone and logs, but large and well kept, something he’s unfamiliar with. Humans visit here, although only when the weather is warm. But how could he not come out into the open with that view? That’s how the lone wolf was spotted. In the past few months, several people have reported seeing him. Or is it her? The experts don’t know for sure. But they are fairly convinced that the animal observed at the North Rim is a gray wolf. If so, it probably made the long journey to Arizona from the Rocky Mountains. Imagine that. – See complete article and video at http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ejmontini/2014/11/15/montini-gray-wolf-grand-canyon-north-rim/19107241/

EBOLA VIRUS:

Global 11/14/14 time.com: by Alice Park – Battling a virus is all about timing, and Ebola is no exception. Our immune systems are capable of destroying Ebola, but once in the body, the virus multiplies furiously, spreading like wildfire. Pretty soon the invader overwhelms the body’s immune system. In most cases, the virus wins. But what if doctors could tip the odds in the body’s favor and pull out Ebola from the blood in order to give the immune cells a fighting chance? Reporting at the Kidney Week conference of the American Society of Nephrology on Friday, doctors at Goethe University hospital in Frankfurt described their experience doing just that several weeks ago when an Ebola patient arrived from Sierra Leone.

Dr. Helmut Geiger and his colleagues knew they had a challenge on their hands. They made sure the patient, a Ugandan pediatrician who had been treating Ebola patients, was hydrated and received the proper nutrients. They also tried several experimental therapies, but despite their efforts, the patient quickly deteriorated. He needed a ventilator to breathe, and as the virus ravaged his body, several of his organs, including his kidneys, failed. The medical team placed him on dialysis and hoped for the best. That’s when Geiger recalled reading about a novel way of treating viruses that didn’t involved drugs. Aethlon Medical, a California-based company, was testing a way to quite literally filter viruses out of the blood of infected patients. The team had been testing their device, which attached to standard kidney dialysis machines, on hepatitis C and HIV patients in India. The German doctors, desperate to help their patient, asked to test it for Ebola. “We did not know if it was possible to retract viruses from the blood,” says Geiger. “But we knew from earlier data that viral load is directly correlated to the outcome of the patient. We thought if we could reduce the viral load through some kind of intervention, then it would be positive for the patient.”

Their hunch paid off. The device, called the Hemopurifier, was attached to the dialysis machine that was already filtering the patient’s blood. The specially designed filter is made of a protein that acts as glue for proteins found on the Ebola virus’s surface. Over a period of 6.5 hours, the filter extracted the virus from the blood that flows through. While most dialysis filters can pull out molecules that are less than 4 nanometers in diameter, the virus filter boasts a mesh that’s able to filter out larger viral particles that are less than 250 nanometers. That means only the virus is pulled out, and the immune cells remain in the blood, ready to fight off any remaining viral invaders. “We had no [idea] about how much [virus] would be extracted, because this was the first patient, but I was very surprised because the drop in viral load was deeper than I expected,” says Geiger. Before the filtration began, the patient’s virus count was about 400,000 per mL blood. After the session it had dropped to 1,000 copies/mL. What’s more, when Geiger’s team sent the filter, which was designed to safely contain the Ebola virus it had extracted, to the University of Marburg, which has a biosafety level 4 laboratory for safely handling the virus, they learned that the device had managed to trap 242 million copies of the virus.

Freed from that viral burden, the patient soon began to improve rapidly. His own immune system began fighting off the remaining virus, and he no longer needs dialysis or a ventilator. The patient is walking and waiting to be released from the hospital. – For video and complete article see https://time.com/3586271/ebola-treatment-dialysis-blood/

OTTER attacks young girl swimming in WISCONSIN lake ~ ALASKAN woman survives BROWN BEAR attack ~ COLORADAN may have contracted TULAREMIA while mowing lawn ~ New VACCINE for CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS shows promise ~ WEST NILE VIRUS (WNV) reports from CA, ID, LA & MS ~ Notable RABIES reports from FL, PA & TX.

Otter. Photo by Peter Trimming. Wikimedia Commons.

Wisconsin 08/13/14 twincities.com: by Andy Rathbun – It was a fun time at the lake — until the otter arrived. After spending about an hour swimming with friends in Bone Lake near Luck, Wis., on Saturday, Rory Kliewer began to climb a ladder onto a dock when she suddenly felt something bite her backside and thigh. “I thought it was a northern pike,” the 12-year-old Minneapolis girl said Wednesday. “I thought a fish was after me.” As she threw the creature off of her, she realized that the animal was an otter — later estimated at 3 1/2 feet long and about 40 pounds. “It was a big, nasty one,” said Rory, who had been staying at a friend’s family cabin over the weekend. The otter then bit Rory’s head and pulled itself onto her, scratching her face.

Rory managed to climb the ladder onto the dock and then throw the otter off her once again, screaming throughout the incident, she said. But the otter didn’t stop there. It jumped onto the dock, and Rory ran onto land with the otter in pursuit, she said. A dog and her friend’s mother tried to scare the animal away, but it rose up on its hind legs and hissed. The otter didn’t retreat until Pat Hinschberger, the cabin’s owner and Rory’s friend’s father, rushed to the scene and yelled at the animal. “As far as I’m concerned, this thing was literally trying to kill this kid,” Hinschberger said. He added that the incident lasted no more than a minute, but it felt like much longer. Rory was taken to a local emergency room, where doctors told her it was their first time treating a victim of an otter attack, she said. Speaking from her home Wednesday, Rory was still recovering from bite wounds, scratches and bruises, and possibly the most significant injury: the trauma of the experience, which she called “really frightening.” – For video, photo and complete article see http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_26331000/wisconsin-otter-attacks-swimming-girl

Bear Attack:

Alaska 08/13/14 adn.com: by Laurel Andrews – Thea Thomas tried to step off the trail as a brown bear sprinted toward her, chasing a friend’s dog that she had brought along for a hike in Cordova on Tuesday afternoon. Yet in an instant, Thomas was flat on the ground, face-to-face with an angry bear that bit her repeatedly during the mauling on Heney Ridge Trail. . . . Thomas, a 57-year-old commercial fisherman, has lived in the Southcentral Alaska community of Cordova for 32 years, she said. “I hike those trails all the time.” Heney Ridge Trail is a 4.1-mile trail that follows Hartney Bay before climbing up through spruce-hemlock forest, salmon-spawning streams and a mile of steep incline up above the treeline, according to the U.S. Forest Service website. . . . She described the brown bear as 6-7 feet tall on its hind legs, with a thick auburn-orange coat. The bear appeared to be in good health. “I kept thinking he was going to stop,” Thomas said. But the attack continued. The bear walked away a couple of times, but would then turn back and bite her again, she said. At one point she tried to get up, but it pulled her back, she said. . . . She was medevaced to an Anchorage hospital on Tuesday. “I’ve got a feeling I’m going to be here a while,” she said. The bear bit her around seven times, she said. The worst bites were to her back and inner thigh. – For complete article see http://www.adn.com/article/20140813/woman-mauled-brown-bear-cordova-hiking-trail-describes-attack

Tularemia:

Colorado 08/12/14 9news.com: A Larimer County man hospitalized for tularemia may have been exposed to the disease while mowing a property outside of Windsor. He was treated with two courses of antibiotics that offered no improvement, but he was released after several days and is expected to make a full recovery. – See http://www.9news.com/story/news/health/2014/08/12/tularemia-fort-collins-weld-larimer-county/13964835/

Chikungunya Virus:

Global 08/15 /14 techtimes.com: by Linda Nguyen – People afraid of contracting chikungunya from mosquitoes have reason to hope. A vaccine for the virus is currently undergoing its first stages of human trials. The vaccine so far has shown promise for protecting people from the chikungunya virus. The report is published online in the Lancet. “The vaccine was safe and well-tolerated, and we believe that this vaccine makes a type of antibody that is effective against chikungunya,” said Dr. Julie Ledgerwood, leader of the study. This would be the first medication to treat or prevent this virus which manifests with fever and severe arthiritis. The Chikungunya virus has spread through Africa and Asia to the Caribbean, and now to the United States. The first domestic cases of the virus were reported in Florida last month when four Americans caught the virus. Ledgerwood said the next step in the clinical trials will be to test the vaccine on more people and more age groups since the current study looked at a relatively small 25-person group. She said the vaccine also has to be tested in areas where the virus is endemic to see whether it truly protects patients. She estimates that the testing will take another five years before it is on the market for the public. She added that it could be given to people living in the areas and to travelers and military personnel if it is proven to be safe and effective. – For complete article see http://www.techtimes.com/articles/13164/20140815/new-vaccine-may-ward-off-chikungunya-virus.htm

West Nile Virus (WNV):

California 08/15/14 Santa Clara County Public Health: Officials have confirmed that five county residents have been infected with WNV. Two of the cases are the more severe neuro-invasive form of the disease. – See http://www.sccgov.org/sites/sccphd/en-u/Newsandevents/Pages/West-Nile-Virus-First-Human-Cases-2014.aspx

Idaho 08/12/14 ID Dept of Health: Officials have confirmed the first human case of WNV in the state so far this year in a Blaine County woman in her 20s. The woman was not hospitalized and is recovering. – See http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/AboutUs/Newsroom/tabid/130/ctl/ArticleView/mid/3061/articleId/1777/First-West-Nile-Infection-Reported-in-Blaine-County.aspx

Louisiana 08/15/14 LA Dept of Health & Hospitals: Media Release – Officials have confirmed 13 new human cases of WNV, of which five are neuro-invasive disease infections, bringing this year’s total to 42 reported human cases. This week’s new infections include neuro-invasive disease cases in Caddo (3), East Baton Rouge (1) and Livingston (1) parishes. There were also new cases of West Nile fever reported from Caddo (4), Calcasieu (1) and East Baton Rouge (1) parishes, and asymptomatic cases in Ascension (1) and East Baton Rouge (1) parishes. – See http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3090

Mississippi 08/12/14 MS State Dept of Health: Officials have confirmed the death of a Yazoo County resident from WNV. So far this year, seven human cases of WNV have been reported in Adams, Hinds, Newton, Rankin(2), Yazoo and Wilkinson counties. – See http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/23,15486,341.html

Rabies:

Florida 08/14/14 Duval County: A stray cat that bit a man and his daughter in Jacksonville’s Southside neighborhood when they coaxed it out from under their car has tested positive for rabies. A Rabies Alert has been issued throughout their section of the Southside and Arlington effective until October. – See http://www.news4jax.com/news/man-daughter-bitten-by-rabid-cat-on-southside/27488858

Pennsylvania 08/14/14 Northampton County: A stray cat found in by a woman in her yard in Glendon and delivered to the Center for Animal Health and Wealth in Williams Township has tested positive for rabies. Eleven people so far have been advised to receive post-exposure treatment for the virus including eight at the shelter, two at the Easton Animal Hospital, and the Glendon woman. – See http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-lehighvalley/eight-getting-rabies-vaccine-after-contact-with-cat/27483698

Texas 08/14/14 Williamson County: Health officials are asking the public to help them identify a woman who may have been exposed to rabies in Round Rock when she was bitten by a bat while leaving the Wal-Mart on East Palm Valley Boulevard at about 9:15 pm, Wednesday, August 6th. She is described as white, possibly in her 20s and wearing shorts, flip-flops and a blue shirt. – See http://www.wcchd.org/news/press_releases/docs/2014_Wilco_Rabies_Incident_Release_080820114.pdf

NEW YORK woman attacked and bitten by COYOTE while walking DOG ~ CHIKUNGUNYA cases in CARIBBEAN now approaching 16,000 ~ TENNESSEE firm develops oral bait LYME DISEASE vaccine for RODENTS ~ CALIFORNIA officials confirm two cases of TYPHUS in L.A. County ~ RABIES reports from CAx2, GA, MA, NJ, NY, NC, SC, TXx3 & VA.

Coyote. Courtesy U.S. National Park Service.

New York 03/25/14 lohud.com: by Steve Lieberman – A woman who was attacked and bitten by a coyote while walking her dog in Orangeburg early Tuesday said she “took one for the team” after police shot and killed the possibly rabid animal. Mary Lou Gardner was walking Jasmine, her 18-pound shih tzu, near Greywood Drive about 6:30 a.m. when the coyote began to stalk them. “I saw it walking between two houses and coming at us,” the 52-year-old said. “I didn’t want to let my dog off the leash.” Gardner held her dog tight and threw her coat on the coyote as it approached. “It went after Jasmine (and) I started kicking the coyote, so (it) turned on me and started biting my leg,” she said.
Neighbors heard the attack and rushed outside, yelling and banging on things to distract the animal, which finally retreated into a back yard as Gardner ran to a house with her dog. Orangeburg police arrived a short time later and shot the coyote, which was taken to the Rockland County Medical Examiner’s Office; it will be tested for rabies at a state police laboratory. Gardner, who was given a tetanus shot at the Nyack Hospital emergency room, suffered bites to her left leg and forearm, and was waiting to find out whether she’ll need rabies shots. Her dog was given a rabies shot as a precaution. Noting that the rabies treatment isn’t as severe as it was years ago, she was philosophical about her wildlife encounter. “I’m glad it was me and not someone else,” said the mother of two grown daughters and a son. “I have a lot of elderly neighbors and there are children here. I took one for the team.” – For complete article see http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2014/03/25/orangetown-woman-bitten-coyote-walking-dog/6871461/
Chikungunya:
Caribbean 03/24/14 umn.edu: The Caribbean now has 15,913 confirmed, probable, or suspected cases of chikungunya, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in an update today, up from 10,476 at the end of February. The outbreak is the first known in the Americas; it began on St. Martin in December 2013. Martinique continues to have the most cases, with 7,630 suspected and 1,141 confirmed or probable cases, the ECDC said. The French side of St. Martin is next, with 2,640 suspected and 782 confirmed or probable cases, but the pace of new cases appears to be slowing there. Guadeloupe has 1,960 suspected and 586 confirmed or probable cases. The next hardest-hit areas are: St. Barthelemy, 420 suspected and 134 confirmed or probable cases; the Dutch side of St. Martin, 115 confirmed cases; Dominica, 392 suspected and 56 confirmed cases; French Guiana, 22 confirmed locally acquired and 10 imported cases; Anguilla, 14 confirmed cases; and Aruba and St. Kitts/Nevis each with 1 confirmed case. The ECDC also reported 3 chikingunya-related deaths on the French side of St. Martin and 2 on Martinique. – See http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2014/03/news-scan-mar-24-2014
Lyme Disease:

 

White-footed mouse.

Tennessee 03/20/14 bizjournals.com: by Michael Sheffield – Memphis-based U.S. Biologic is looking to rabies prevention as inspiration for the launch of its first product. The company, which has developed an oral bait Lyme disease vaccine that is distributed to white-footed mice in fields around the northeast, is taking a similar approach as rabies prevention with the delivery method for its product. According to Mason Kauffman, the company’s president and CEO, a similar method of leaving bait with the vaccine inside in wooded areas for wolves and raccoons was first used 15 years ago to help prevent rabies. The approach was so successful there was one reported case of rabies in 2013, he said. “We want to change it from a danger zone to a treatment zone,” Kauffman said. “If we can be half as successful (as rabies prevention has been) with Lyme disease, we’ve had a huge impact.” . . . . .
U.S. Biologic has worked with the University of Memphis to develop intimate mapping of wooded areas, soil types, parks and every demographic of every property in the U.S. “down to the square meter”, Kauffman said, in order to track where mouse and tick populations interact with humans. – See http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2014/03/20/u-s-biologic-moving-forward-with-lyme-disease.html

Typhus:
California 03/20/14 go.com: A case of flea-borne typhus was confirmed in Burbank by Los Angeles County Vector Control. The case is the first in Burbank

Flea.

this year. – See http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=9474295
California 02/27/14 go.com: A case of flea-borne typhus was reported in a neighborhood around Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach, police announced today. The L.A. County Department of Public Health contacted Manhattan Beach police about the case. – See http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=9448070

Rabies:

California 03/20/14 El Dorado County: A Rabies Alert has been issued after officials announced that more skunks have tested positive for the virus in the county than is usual for this time of year. So far, seven rabid skunks have been identified in 2014: two in Pollock Pines, one in Shingle Springs, three in Garden Valley, and one in the Pleasant Valley area. – See http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/20/6255061/el-dorado-county-official-say.html
California 03/18/14 El Dorado County: Officials are looking for a dog that bit a South Lake Tahoe man on March 16th in the vicinity of Tahoe Keys Blvd. and Washington Ave. The dog, which was roaming in the neighborhood, is described as a medium-size, husky-type breed with fluffy gray and white fur, and wearing a blue collar and tags. Animals Services officials would like to speak with the dog’s owner to verify that the dog is current on its rabies vaccinations so that the man does not have to have post-exposure rabies treatments. Anyone with information is asked to call Animal Services at (530) 573-7925. – See http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/18/6248413/dog-sought-after-biting-incident.html
Georgia 03/17/14 Habersham County: A raccoon that was in contact with a vaccinated dog on March 11th in the 3900 block of Georgia Highway 197, south of Ivy Mountain Road, between Clarkesville and Batesville, has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=272536
Massachusetts 03/18/14 Worcester County: A raccoon that attacked a Holden man in his yard on Towle Drive last week has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.thelandmark.com/news/2014-03-20/Holden_News/Raccoon_that_bit_man_tests_positive_for_rabies.html
New Jersey 03/19/14 Atlantic County: A raccoon found on March 14th aggressively scratching at the back door of a home on Malaron Circle in Egg Harbor Township has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.nbc40.net/story/25020581/second-case-of-rabies-confirmed-in-eht-raccoon

Cow dying of rabies.

New York 03/20/14 Madison County: An unvaccinated cow kept in Lebanon is the first confirmed animal to be infected with the rabies virus in the county this year. – See http://www.oneidadispatch.com/general-news/20140320/first-2014-rabies-case-in-madison-county
North Carolina 03/17/14 Cleveland County: A shepherd/husky-mix dog that was abandoned by a driver on the side of Elam Road on March 5th, became ill on March 9th, and died March 14th, has tested positive for rabies. Officials said a second dog that was released with the rabid dog, was exposed to the virus but remains at large. – See http://www.shelbystar.com/news/local/officials-dog-county-s-first-rabies-case-this-year-1.292406
South Carolina 03/19/14 Greenwood County: A raccoon that came in contact with a person in Troy has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/25015249/person-exposed-to-rabies-by-raccoon-in-greenwood-co
Texas 03/19/14 McLennan County: A stray dog found in the 200 block of Front Street in Lorena, a neighborhood filled with kids and pets, has tested positive for rabies. The dog, a two-year-old, female, Labrador-Pyrenees mix, has been roaming the city’s streets for almost a week. – For article and video see http://www.kcentv.com/story/25015901/lorena-dog-tested-positive-for-rabies
Texas 03/19/14 Collin and Denton counties: A skunk found injured on March 14th near the intersection of Eldorado Parkway and Preston Road in Frisco has tested positive for rabies. This is the second rabid skunk found in the city in less than one week. – See http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/frisco/headlines/20140319-frisco-reports-second-skunk-tested-positive-for-rabies.ece
Texas 03/17/14 Denton County: A skunk found within the Lewisville city limits this month has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/lewisville-flower-mound/headlines/20140317-rabid-skunk-in-lewisville-city-limits-prompts-rabies-warning.ece
Virginia 03/19/14 Williamsburg: A coyote seen March 13th near the Cedar Grove Cemetery and later on South England Street was found dead on College of William and Mary property and has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-coyote-tests-rabies-positive-20140319,0,7994376.story

CANADIAN survives BLACK BEAR attack by grabbing bear’s tongue ~ WEST NILE VIRUS reports from AZ, & MS ~ RABIES reports from VT, & WI.

Black bear. Bing free use license.

Canada:

New Brunswick 10/12/13 cbc.ca: A woodlot owner near Grand Falls, N.B., says he’s lucky to be alive after a bear attacked him in the woods. Gilles Cyr said he was walking through his woodlot two weeks ago when suddenly something black came flying out of the woods at him. “When I opened up my eyes it was on top of me — with the friggin’ noise, it’s crazy the way it growls. Right from the stomach. It’s not from the mouth, it’s just inside. His mouth was wide open right in front of my face so the last thing I remember I had his tongue in my hand and I didn’t want to let go because he was trying to fight me off. So he was hitting me with his claws, so I says, ‘If you’re going to hurt me, I’m going to hurt you too.’ So he was biting his tongue at the same time,” he said. “For a second, I thought I was dead … that’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you open your eyes and see that friggin’ mouth full of teeth and a tongue in there. It’s like … an extreme sport,” he said with a chuckle. Cyr said grabbing the bear’s tongue was just instinct. He said he managed to escape behind a tree but not before the bear clawed his belly and bit his knee. The bear followed him but then appeared to lose interest and walked away. He was treated for superficial wounds at the hospital. Cyr said that a warden told him he has permission to track down the bear and kill it as a nuisance animal — however an official with Natural Resources said Cyr may require a permit.

Grand Falls, New Brunswick

This is not the first near miss with a black bear in New Brunswick. In August a forestry worker was chased and attacked while working in the woods near Oromocto Lake. Pierre Mezzetta of Fredericton required some stitches and a night in hospital following the attack. In July, a black bear chased a Fredericton man into his home. He was not injured but the bear made off with his garbage. The province’s black bear population has jumped to 17,000, up from about 12,000 eight years ago. A provincial biologist said one reason for the rise in the bear population is because of a drop in hunting. Thirty-five years ago, New Brunswick sold more than 12,500 bear hunting licences. Last year, it sold barely more than 5,000. – For photos and original article see http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/man-grabs-bear-s-tongue-during-attack-near-grand-falls-1.2021414

Dengue Fever:

Global 10/14/13 miamiherald.com: Debate and controversy surround the use of genetically altered mosquitoes designed to curb the spread of dengue fever. OX513A is a genetically modified mosquito engineered by a British biotech company, Oxitec Ltd. of Abingdon, England. The “Frankenskeeters”, as they have been called, are all male and contain a “lethality gene” that prevents offspring from surviving.

The controversy revolves around doubts about effectiveness to concern about the impact on the ecosystem. But officials in the Florida Keys have been considering a test. Oxitec CEO Hadyn Parry said OX513A has already been tested in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia, and Brazil, and he expects tests in India and in the Florida Keys, if the FDA and Florida authorities approve. An outbreak of dengue fever has been reported in Florida, and the virus is reported to be present in Texas this year. – See complete article at http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/14/3683849/debate-surrounds-use-of-gene-altered.html

West Nile Virus (WNV):

Arizona 10/14/13 Pinal County: Officials have confirmed the county’s first human case of WNV in an adult male resident of Casa Grande who is recovering. – See http://www.necn.com/10/14/13/Pinal-County-reports-case-of-West-Nile-v/landing_nation.html?&apID=f8419e2441794c63aca3f20a9441a806

Mississippi 10/14/13 MS Dept of Health: Officials have confirmed one new human case of WNV reported in Hinds County. So far this year, 40 human cases of the virus have been reported in the state, including two fatalities. – For further details see http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/23,14399,341.html

Rabies:

Vermont 10/14/13 Windham County: A raccoon that fought with a vaccinated dog at a residence on Misty Drive in Grafton has tested positive for rabies. The dog was not injured, but when the dog was called off and the raccoon remained aggressive the homeowner shot it. – See http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_24303294/rabid-raccoon-shot-and-killed-grafton

Wisconsin 10/14/13 Winnebago County: Police in Menasha are looking for a small dog, described as a golden Yorkshire terrier that allegedly bit an adult jogger in Jefferson Park around noon this past Sunday. The little dog was being walked by an elderly woman, who apparently continued on her way, following the bite incident; it is unclear as to why the jogger was not able to catch up to the elderly woman and her dog following the bite. The authorities are involved because they are hoping to find out if the dog responsible for the bite is current on its rabies vaccinations. – See http://www.examiner.com/article/police-search-for-tiny-canine-culprit-weekend-dog-bite-case

ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO a looming threat to U.S. ~ BEAR bites NEW MEXICAN inside his ALBUQUERQUE home ~ Scientists say new VACCINE for LYME DISEASE looks promising ~ EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS (EEE) & WEST NILE VIRUS (WNV) reports from AZ, CA, CO, ID, IN, LA, ME, MA x4, MS, NE, NH, NJ, NYx2, PA, SD, TX, VT, & CANADA: ONTARIOx3 ~ RABIES reports from CO, GA, KY, VA, & WV.

Aedes albopictus mosquito, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito- Courtesy CDC.

National 08/09/13 webmd.com: by Alan Mozes –  (T)hough a relative newcomer to the American scene, experts now warn that (the Asian Tiger Mosquito) is starting to create a fearsome buzz, with the potential to cause havoc across the United States. So far, however, it hasn’t led to widespread disease in this country. “What we have here is an invasive daytime-feeding, disease-carrying mosquito that, since it first arrived on the East Coast in the 1980s, has been pretty aggressive in mowing down its natural competitors,” said Gabe Hamer, a clinical assistant professor in the department of entomology at Texas A&M University. “And now it’s really starting to move through the country in full force.” “That makes it, at the very least, a nuisance and an annoyance,” Hamer explained. “And at worst, a serious vector for major pathogens.”

On its Asian home turf, the mosquito is a well-known carrier of dengue fever, with West Nile fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis among the other debilitating illnesses for which it has been pegged as a transmitter. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the mosquito has so far been identified as a host for five different viruses in the United States. Two of those — encephalomyelitis and Cache Valley — can infect humans, while the others are a threat to dogs, cats, birds and other animals.

Dr. Gabe Hamer.

But U.S. experts are perhaps most alarmed that this mosquito potentially could become a prime North American vector for a particularly nasty joint and muscle pain illness for which there is neither a vaccine nor treatment: the Chikungunya virus. Such concerns have escalated in light of recent research, such as that funded by the U.S. National Institute for Food and Agriculture, and reported in the January issue of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, which cautions that an imminent mosquito-driven American outbreak of the Chikungunya virus is a very real threat.

“The ongoing invasion of the Asian tiger mosquito in the U.S.A. represents an important risk,” agreed Diego Ruiz-Moreno, a postdoctoral associate in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University, who led the recent study. “Mainly because of the potential for disease to spread.” Otherwise known as Aedes albopictus, the CDC notes that the Asian tiger mosquito was first spotted on the U.S. mainland in 1985.

Dr. Diego Ruiz-Moreno

Since that initial Houston sighting, it has spread across 26 states, moving as far north as Chicago, as far east as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as far west as Nebraska, and across a broad swath of the South, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. And now, Hamer said, California has been added to the list. – For complete article see http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20130809/asian-tiger-mosquito-could-spread-us-disease?page=2

Bear Attack:

New Mexico 08/12/13 Bernalillo County: State game officers are hunting for a bear that broke into a home in the Albuquerque foothills early Friday and bit the owner. A spokesperson said they’re also looking for an individual who has been sabotaging their efforts to trap the bear by meddling with the trap and the trap site. – See http://www.newschannel10.com/story/23116096/nm-officials-seek-saboteur-in-bear-attack-case

Lyme Disease:

Global 08/10/13 natureworldnews.com: by James A. Foley – A vaccine for Lyme disease has shown promise in clinical trials, producing substantial antibodies against the bacteria that causes the disease. Researchers at Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and at Baxter International Inc., a U.S.-based healthcare company, published the results of the first half of their clinical trial in May in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. In the clinical trial administered by Baxter International, the vaccine was shown to be effective against Borrelia, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Three hundred people living in Austria and Germany were given three primary immunizations and one booster immunization in a range of doses.

Dr. Benjamin Luft

The researchers report that in all administered doses of the vaccine, the patients showed an immune response to all species of Borrelia. “The results of the clinical trial conducted by Baxter are promising because the vaccine generated a potent human immune reaction, covered the complete range of Borrelia active in the entire Northern hemisphere, and produced no major side effects,” said study co-author Dr. Benjamin Luft of Stony Brook University School of Medicine. – For complete article see http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/3431/20130810/lyme-disease-vaccine-shows-promise-clinical-trials.htm

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) & West Nile Virus (WNV):

Arizona 08/12/13 Maricopa County: Family members have confirmed that a 53-year-old Scottsdale male has been hospitalized with WNV. The father of two is unable to move, talk, or eat. – See http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_northeast_valley/scottsdale/West-Nile-Virus-leaves-Valley-man-Rory-Stevenson-in-coma

California 08/12/13 Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District: Officials have confirmed that a sentinel chicken placed near Gage Lane in Novato has tested positive for WNV. – See http://www.marinij.com/fairfax/ci_23847275/west-nile-virus-detected-novato-horse-owners-warned

Colorado 08/09/13 coloradoan.com: by Robert Allen – A “rapid increase” this week in reported human cases of WNV in Larimer County has health officials advising people to beware of mosquitoes carrying the potentially devastating disease, according to Larimer County health department. Twelve residents have been infected, and four of them are showing symptoms such as meningitis, encephalitis and paralysis. Three people in Fort Collins and one in Loveland are showing the severe symptoms, according to the health department. – For complete article and precautions see http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20130809/NEWS01/308090024/West-Nile-virus-escalating-rapidly-12-human-infections-Larimer-County

Idaho 08/12/13 Southwest District Health: Officials have confirmed that mosquito pools have tested positive with WNV  in Adams County.  The traps were placed in both the Council and Indian Valley areas. Adams County joins Ada, Canyon, Gem, Gooding, Owyhee, Payette, Twin Falls, Valley, and Washington counties in Idaho with mosquito pools testing positive with WNV, as well as Malheur County in Oregon. Payette County has had the only two reported human cases of WNV in the state to date. – See http://www.kivitv.com/news/Mosquitoes-in-Adams-County-test-positive-for-West-Nile-Virus-219279791.html

Indiana 08/13/13 IN State Department of Health: There has been one human case of WNV in Ripley County and one equine case in Adams County. Counties with WNV-infected mosquitoes include: Adams, Allen, Carroll, Clinton, Daviess, Delaware, DeKalb, Grant, Hamilton, Jay, Jefferson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Parke, Steuben, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Starke, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh, Vigo, White and Whitley. – See http://www.in.gov/activecalendar/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=119373&information_id=186576&type=&syndicate=syndicate

Louisiana 08/13/13 LA Department of Health & Hospitals: There are seven new human cases of WNV in the state bringing the total to eight so far this year. The seven new cases include  two new neuro-invasive disease cases , with one case each reported from Calcasieu and Ouachita parishes. There are four West Nile fever cases, with one case each reported from Ascension and St. Tammany parishes and two cases from Lafayette parish. In addition, there was one asymptomatic case reported, from St. Tammany Parish. One human case from St. Tammany Parish had been reported earlier. – See http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/assets/docs/SurveillanceReports/wnv/weekly2013/WNV_1331.pdf

Maine 08/13/13 York County: State health officials have confirmed that mosquitoes trapped in Alfred on July 16^th have tested positive for EEE. – See http://www.pressherald.com/news/dispatches_2013-08-13.html

Massachusetts 08/13/13 Essex County: State health officials have confirmed that mosquitoes trapped in the northern part of Newburyport on Plum Island near the salt marshes by Old Point Road have tested positive for WNV. – See http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x389853713/West-Nile-virus-found-on-PI

Massachusetts 08/12/13 Essex County: The town of Saugus in coordination with the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control will be target spraying in the Riverside Cemetery area due to a positive WNV mosquito sample. – See http://www.wickedlocal.com/saugus/news/x84137347/Mosquito-tests-positive-for-West-Nile-Virus-in-Saugus-target-spraying-set-for-Aug-14

Massachusetts 08/09/13 Essex County: Public health officials have confirmed Friday that a batch of mosquitoes trapped in Marblehead tested positive for WNV. – See http://www.wickedlocal.com/marblehead/news/x1465129371/West-Nile-virus-confirmed-in-Marblehead-mosquito-sample

Massachusetts 08/09/13 Plymouth County: Local health officials confirmed Friday that mosquitoes trapped in Rockland have tested positive for both WNV and EEE. State officials have confirmed that EEE has now been detected in three locations statewide, and WNV in 80 locations statewide so far this year. – See http://www.enterprisenews.com/topstories/x1905498734/EEE-found-in-Rockland-mosquitoes

Mississippi 08/12/13 MI State Department of Health: State officials have reported the second fatal human case of WNV, and four new human cases. The death occurred in Bolivar County on August 6^th, and the new cases were reported in Forrest, Hinds, and Rankin counties. Human cases of WNV now total 12, including two deaths, so far this year. The first WNV-related fatality was reported in Montgomery County in July. – See http://themississippilink.com/2013/08/12/state-officials-report-second-west-nile-virus-death-of-2013/

Nebraska 08/09/13 NE Department of Health and Human Services: Health officials have confirmed that mosquito pools in Chase, Dawes, Dawson, Garden, Scottsbluff, Sheridan, and Webster counties have tested positive for WNV. This follows reported positive human cases in Scottsbluff & Douglas counties, and North Central, Central & Southwest Nebraska Public Health Districts. – See http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1992825.html

New Hampshire 08/13/13 Rockingham County: Town officials have confirmed that mosquitoes trapped in two pools in Stratham have tested positive for WNV. – See http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130813/NEWS/130819930/-1/NEWSMAP

New Jersey 08/11/13 Morris County: Health officials have confirmed that mosquitoes trapped on August 1^st in Donatoni Community Park on West Main Street in Rockaway Borough have tested positive for WNV. – See http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2013/08/west_nile_virus_found_in_park_rockaway_borough_says.html

New York 08/12/13 Chautauqua County: Health officials have confirmed that pools of mosquitoes trapped in Jamestown Audubon have tested positive for both EEE and WNV. As a precaution, the Audubon is closing its trails during the dawn and dusk hours, opening only from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Additionally, the Audubon is requiring that patrons put on insect repellent and recommends that patrons wear long pants, shoes and socks, and a long sleeved shirt when hiking at the Audubon. It is the first time mosquitoes infected with EEE have been found in the county. The rare but often deadly disease in humans can be spread by mosquitoes. All five human cases of EEE reported in the state in the last 40 years have been fatal. – See http://www.goerie.com/article/20130812/NEWS02/308129912/Mosquitoes-infected-with-Eastern-Equine-Encephalitis-found-in-Chautauqua-County-NY and http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/626617/Mosquitoes-Test-Positive-For-West-Nile.html?nav=5192

New York 08/09/13 Oneida County: Health officials confirmed Friday that a horse stabled on a farm in Vernon has tested positive for WNV. The horse seems to be recovering but is still displaying residual ataxis in the hind legs.- See http://www.wktv.com/news/local/West-Nile-Virus-confirmed-in-Vernon-house–219010721.html

Pennsylvania 08/09/13 Washington County: State officials have confirmed that mosquitoes trapped in Carroll Township have tested positive for WNV. The county is considered at low risk for the virus, according to Pennsylvania’s West Nile Virus Control Program, but it is one of 32 counties in the state where the virus has been detected. – See http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130809/NEWS01/130809353/-1/news#.Ugcv3G3DK5c

South Dakota 08/11/13 SD Department of Health: Officials have announced that South Dakota has the highest number of human WNV cases, as well as the highest number of the more serious neuro-invasive cases, in the nation. Thirty-five human cases have been reported. In addition, 2 horses, 4 birds, and 192 mosquito pools have also tested positive for the virus. WNV has been detected in 30 of the state’s 66 counties. – See http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/node/1568687 and https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?hl=en&shva=1#inbox/14078164bd4a77c2

Texas 08/10/13 Howard County: Health officials have confirmed the third human case of WNV reported in Big Spring so far this year has been hospitalized. As of August 6^th, there have been nine human cases of WNV reported in the state. – See http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_a372535a-0133-11e3-9130-0019bb2963f4.html

Vermont 08/10/13 Addison County: Health officials said Friday mosquitoes trapped in Bond Swamp in Whiting have tested positive for EEE. – See http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130810/THISJUSTIN/708109912

Canada:

Ontario 08/12/13 Wellington County: Public health officials have confirmed that a mosquito pool located in Erin has tested positive for WNV. – See http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/4028894-west-nile-virus-confirmed-in-guelph-area/

Ontario 08/12/13 Middlesex County: Health officials have issued a WNV Alert after finding what they believe is the first human case of the virus in the London vicinity. Three dead crows were found previously this year in London, Dorchester, and Parkhill, and an infected mosquito was trapped in London. – See http://www.theobserver.ca/2013/08/12/middlesex-london-health-unit-investigating-regions-first-possible-human-case-of-west-nile-virus

Ontario 08/12/13 Waterloo Region: Public health officials have confirmed that a pool of mosquitoes located in Cambridge has tested positive for WNV. – See http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4028785-west-nile-virus-in-region-public-health-authorities-warn/

Rabies:

Colorado 08/10/13 El Paso County: Health officials have confirmed a fox that attacked a man in southwest Colorado Springs a couple of miles from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on August 3^rd has tested positive for rabies. Two weeks ago, another fox that was hit by a car a half mile away also tested positive for the virus. – See http://www.timesunion.com/news/science/article/Rabid-fox-attacks-man-in-SW-Colorado-Springs-4722990.php

Georgia 08/12/13 Chatham County: Health officials have confirmed a raccoon that fought with a vaccinated dog in the Fort argyle Road area has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.wsav.com/story/23110411/raccoon-tests-positive-for-rabies-in-chatham-county

Kentucky 08/09/13 Jefferson County: Health officials in Louisville have identified nine children who need treatment for potential exposure to rabies after a bat tested positive for the virus. It was reported some of the children carried the bat in a box, and others may have been playing with or near the bat. Anyone who may have been in contact with the bat should seek immediate medical advice. – See http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/90913d3c081e4a78a353d87b86337ad7/KY–Rabid-Bat

Virginia 08/12/13 Wythe County: A skunk that had confirmed contact with a dog in the Sage Road section of Rural Retreat has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.tricities.com/swvatoday/news/wytheville/article_e4a31238-0381-11e3-90ac-0019bb30f31a.html

West Virginia 08/12/13 WV Department of Health & Human Services: The state’s annual oral rabies vaccine program will begin around August 26^th and continue through early- to mid-September. The vaccine bait packets will be hand distributed or air dropped in a target area that covers a wide corridor through the central part of the state, extending from the northern panhandle to the southern coalfields. Residents are asked to leave baits alone and to keep pets confined or on a leash during the baiting period and up to five days after baiting. This gives raccoons the opportunity to locate and eat the baits. In particular, dogs are attracted to the baits and will occasionally eat them. The baits are not harmful to pets. Do not try to take baits away from your pet, as you may get bitten. – See more at: http://www.fayettetribune.com/local/x738622706/Rabies-vaccine-to-be-dropped-in-coming-weeks#sthash.CsWf84OH.dpuf

FERAL HOGS a growing concern in OKLAHOMA ~ NEW YORK scientist says new LYME DISEASE VACCINE shows promise in clinical trials ~ CDC releases final 2012 WEST NILE VIRUS report ~ WEST NILE VIRUS report from TENNESSEE ~ RABIES reports from CA, NY, NCx3, & TX.

Feral hog. Photo by University of Missouri Ext.

Oklahoma 05/14/13 odwc.state.ok.us: News Release – Feral hogs destroy wildlife habitat at alarming rates and cause a number of important concerns to hunters, farmers and other landowners in Oklahoma  Feral hogs can cause extensive damage to farm fields, crops, stored livestock feed, woodlots, suburban landscaping, golf courses and wildlife habitat relied upon by native species such as deer, turkey, squirrels and quail. Their voracious appetites, destructive habits and prolific breeding patterns wreak havoc on the landscape, often resulting in overwhelming competition to native species. They may also carry diseases that can be transmitted to other species, including humans. “The bottom line is they don’t belong here,” said Kevin Grant, Oklahoma state director of Wildlife Services for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which oversees feral swine management issues in Oklahoma as part of a memorandum of understanding with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The memorandum is rooted in the fact that feral swine are not true wildlife, but rather descendants of domestic stock living at large in a feral state.

Grant said millions of dollars and significant resources have been spent in an effort to make sure domestic swine stock is safe from disease, so the presence of feral populations raises concerns for the safety of domestic swine and the swine industry. “If they’re here, they need to be on the plate or in a pen because they’re not native to the Americas, and the way that they’re really taking off out there is pretty phenomenal,” Grant said. Grant’s comments were part of a presentation to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission on the statewide status of feral swine, or “wild hogs” as they are often called in Oklahoma. According to Grant and officials with the Wildlife Department, feral hogs are a well-established and still growing problem in Oklahoma. “They are probably the most prolific large mammal around,” Grant said, adding that feral swine can reach sexual maturity by 6 months of age, have relatively short gestational periods and can give birth to large litters multiple times a year. In the 1990s, the Agriculture Department worked with the Wildlife Department and the Noble Foundation to study the spread of feral hog populations in Oklahoma. Feral hogs seemed to originate in southeastern Oklahoma, and they since have spread to all 77 counties. – For complete release see https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13ea4fb0754627c5

Lyme Disease:

Global 05/13/13 healthcanal.com: News Release – The results of a phase 1/2 clinical trial in Europe of an investigational Lyme disease vaccine co-developed by researchers at Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and at healthcare company Baxter International S.A., revealed it to be promising and well tolerated, according to a research paper published online in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The vaccine was shown to produce substantial antibodies against all targeted species of Borrelia, the causative agent of Lyme disease in Europe and the United States. Baxter conducted the clinical trial of the vaccine.

Benjamin Luft, M.D., Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

Since the early 1990s, Benjamin Luft, MD, the Edmund D. Pellegrino Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and the late John Dunn, Ph.D., a biologist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, spearheaded the initial development of the original vaccine antigen concept, and together with researchers at Baxter helped bioengineer the formulation used in the clinical trial. . . “The results of the clinical trial conducted by Baxter are promising because the vaccine generated a potent human immune reaction, covered the complete range of Borrelia active in the entire Northern hemisphere, and produced no major side effects,” said Dr. Luft, a co-author on the paper. “We hope that a larger-scale, Phase 3 trial will demonstrate not only a strong immune response but true efficacy in a large population that illustrates protection against Lyme disease.” – For complete release see http://www.healthcanal.com/infections/38557-lyme-disease-vaccine-shows-promise-in-clinical-trials.html

West Nile Virus (WNV):

National 05/14/13 cdc.gov: Media Advisory – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released the final 2012 national surveillance data for West Nile virus activity. To access the information, please visit www.cdc.gov/westnile . A total of 5,674 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 286 deaths, were reported to CDC from 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Of all West Nile virus disease cases reported, 2,873 (51 percent) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (e.g., meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis). The dates of illness onset (when the patients’ illness began) ranged from March through December 2012. The numbers of neuroinvasive, non-neuroinvasive, and total West Nile virus disease cases reported in 2012 are the highest since 2003. The number of deaths is the highest since cases of WNV disease were first detected in the United States in 1999.

Tennessee 05/13/13 Davidson County: A batch of mosquitoes collected in Bordeaux near the intersection of Clarksville Pike and West Hamilton have tested positive for WNV.  – See http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130513/NEWS07/305130038

Rabies:

California 05/14/13 Orange County: A bat found on the garage floor of a home in the 2300 block of Vanguard Way in Costa Mesa on May 5 has tested positive for rabies. A 15-year-old boy contained the live bat in a box without touching it, he said, but the family was urged to pursue a course of action because of possible exposure. – See http://www.dailypilot.com/news/tn-dpt-me-0515-rabid-bat-20130513,0,5554328.story

New York 05/12/13 Staten Island: A Rabies Alert has been issued after ten raccoons and one bat tested positive for the virus on the island so far this year. The raccoons were found in Eltingville, Grasmere, Great Kills, New Dorp, Park Hill, and Westerleigh. – See http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/top_stories/181948/doh-says-high-number-of-si-raccoons-tested-positive-for-rabies

North Carolina 05/13/13 Wake County: A fox that fought with an unvaccinated dog last Wednesday in the vicinity of the 300 block of Jones Franklin Road in Raleigh has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.hollyspringssun.com/view/full_story/22524264/article-Wake-issues-rabies-notice?instance=popular

North Carolina 05/13/13 Guilford County: A raccoon found on Foxcreek Court in High Point has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.news-record.com/home/1213043-63/raccoon-tests-positive-for-rabies

North Carolina 05/12/13 New Hanover County: A Wilmington woman says she is scared she will have to have unnecessary rabies shots, after the owner of a dog that bit her disappeared. Susan Matthews said she was at the Fort Fisher Park on Saturday, visiting with one family and their puppy, when a second dog came up and bit her in the face. She says she started bleeding and raced down to the water to wash off her face, when she looked back, she says the dog owner had disappeared. “It happened so fast and then they were gone, it made me just want to cry,” said Matthews. “I was in shock the rest of the day, both about the bite and the fact that they left.” She says the cut continued to bleed, and wants to know if the dog had its rabies shots. If she can’t find the owners, she says she will have to go forward with rabies shot. “It’s very painful and very expensive and we don’t have insurance,” said Susan. She says, she is hoping to find the owner before time runs out, so she can save herself the pain and extra money if the shot is unnecessary. Susan says the dog has white hair. (Anyone with information about this incident should contact New Hanover County Public Health at 910-798-6500.)

Texas 05/13/13 Wichita County: A Rabies Alert has been issued in Wichita Falls after two skunks tested positive for the virus. – See http://texomashomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=274872

WYOMING testing new VACCINE in ELK hoping to prevent CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ~ WOLF pack in MONTANA kills DOG hunting MOUNTAIN LIONS ~ FLORIDA issues EQUINE HERPES VIRUS ALERT ~ RABIES reports from CO, FL, NJ, NC, & TX.

Mating elk. Courtesy U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Wyoming 02/19/13 wgfd.wyo.gov: News Release – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has begun a multi-year study at its Thorne-Williams Wildlife Research Unit (formerly Sybille) near Wheatland to evaluate the efficacy of a vaccine against chronic wasting disease. The vaccine was developed in Canada by three leading infectious disease centers. In January, researchers trapped 50 elk calves at Game and Fish’s South Park feedground (south of Jackson) and transported them to the research unit. There, calves were split into two groups. One group was vaccinated and one was an unvaccinated control group. “Previous research has demonstrated that elk will naturally contract chronic wasting disease by being housed at the unit,” said Game and Fish Chief Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Terry Kreeger. “We predict that the vaccinated group will live longer than the control group. It’s important to understand that even if the vaccine does not provide lifelong protection from chronic wasting disease, every extra year of survival the vaccine provides will mean increased production in an affected population.” A parallel vaccine study is being conducted on deer in Colorado. – For complete release see http://wgfd.wyo.gov/web2011/news-1000368.aspx

Wolves:

Montana 02/27/13 ravallirepublic.com: by Perry Backus – In the 20 years that Tom Henderson has been hunting mountain lions with hounds, he’s never had a run-in with wolves. That changed Saturday. It was about 10 a.m. when the hounds he was hunting with treed a lion near Gird Creek, just north of Skalkaho Creek and east of Hamilton, following a two-hour chase. He and his companions were about 100 yards away from the treed lion and the three dogs when they saw a pack of six wolves appear. About five seconds later, Henderson said, a wolf grabbed one of Dan Morris’ hounds by the neck and killed it. “He grabbed it and broke its neck,” Henderson said. “It happened really fast. We started shooting our pistols.”

Henderson said the wolves were initially focused on the dogs and hung around for a few moments before loping off. “That was kind of surprising,” Henderson said. “I think they were pretty focused on the dogs. We were able to get quite a bit closer even after shooting.” With the state’s wolf season still open, Henderson said they could have legally shot them. “All we had were pistols,” he said. “That’s just not very realistic.”This is the second time this winter that wolves have killed mountain lion hunting hounds owned by people in the Bitterroot Valley. Earlier this year, three hounds owned by a Stevensville man were killed in the Ninemile drainage north of Missoula. Henderson said that it’s become a fact of life for lion hunters.

“This is the new normal,” he said. “It’s a risk we take. I’m not a wolf fan, but I’ve come to the conclusion that even with more liberal seasons, wolves are here forever.” “We’re going to have to live with them,” Henderson said. In an effort to cut down on the risk, Henderson said he has been putting bells on his dog’s collars in hopes of keeping wolves at bay from the unnatural noise that the bells produce. – For complete article see http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_08c8d58e-8089-11e2-b533-001a4bcf887a.html

Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1):

Florida 02/24/13 freshfromflorida.com: News Release – A horse participating in the Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS), horse show in Ocala was referred to the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine after showing clinical neurological signs on February 20th. The horse subsequently tested positive for the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), wild-type strain. Currently, the horse is in stable condition and continues to be treated at the University of Florida. There are no additional suspected or confirmed cases at this time.  The Division of Animal Industry is continuing the disease investigation, which includes the HITS show grounds in Ocala, the local index farm and multiple premises that have horses that may have been exposed to the positive horse. No new quarantines have been issued today and the seven quarantines issued since last Thursday remain in place. These quarantines include the index farm, Tent 7 at HITS and five additional premises in Florida; two farms in the Ocala area, one in Pinellas Park, one in St. Augustine and one in Wellington. At this point in the investigation there are no known exposed horses in other states. – For complete release see http://www.freshfromflorida.com/ai/pdf/EHVWebsiteUpdate.pdf

Rabies:

Colorado 02/27/13 Adams County: Health officials have confirmed that a skunk found on private property in Brighton has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22681954/skunk-brighton-tests-positive-rabies

Florida 02/27/13 Brevard County: A man who attempted to pick up a raccoon that was hit by a car and was bitten is now receiving rabies post-exposure treatment. The raccoon, which was hit on State Road 3 about a mile south of the Kennedy Space Center, has tested positive for the virus. – See http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130227/NEWS01/130227017/Brevard-health-officials-announce-rabies-warning-area-near-KSC?nclick_check=1

New Jersey 02/27/13 Morris County: Denville Township officials have issued a Rabies Alert after a raccoon that attacked a dog in the vicinity of South Wynde Drive, behind the A&P, tested positive for the virus. – See http://newjerseyhills.com/the_citizen/news/denville-issues-rabies-alert/article_c50e06b4-811b-11e2-9b63-0019bb2963f4.html

North Carolina 02/28/13 Davidson County: A skunk found inside a dog lot in Churchland with a dog that had an expired vaccination has tested positive for rabies. The skunk was shot and killed by the dog’s owner. The dog was euthanized. – See http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20130228/News/302289972

Texas 02/27/13 Somervell County: The Glen Rose animal control officer has issued a Rabies Alert after a skunk that was chasing people attending a birthday party tested positive for the virus. – See http://www.yourglenrosetx.com/news/community/article_f927db0a-8120-11e2-a475-0019bb2963f4.html