Northern Elephant Seals. Photo by Mike Baird. Wikimedia Commons.
California 05/15/13 ucdavis.edu: News Release – Scientists at the University of California, Davis, detected the H1N1 (2009) virus in free-ranging northern elephant seals off the central California coast a year after the human pandemic began, according to a study published today, May 15, in the journal PLOS ONE. It is the first report of that flu strain in any marine mammal. “We thought we might find influenza viruses, which have been found before in marine mammals, but we did not expect to find pandemic H1N1,” said lead author Tracey Goldstein, an associate professor with the UC Davis One Health Institute and Wildlife Health Center. “This shows influenza viruses can move among species.” UC Davis researchers have been studying flu viruses in wild birds and mammals since 2007 as part of the Centers of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance program funded by National Institutes of Health. The goal of this research is to understand how viruses emerge and move among animals and people.
Dr. Tracey Goldstein of UC-Davis.
Between 2009 and 2011, the team of scientists tested nasal swabs from more than 900 marine mammals from 10 different species off the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California. They detected H1N1 infection in two northern elephant seals and antibodies to the virus in an additional 28 elephant seals, indicating more widespread exposure. Neither infected seal appeared to be ill, indicating marine mammals may be infected without showing clinical signs of illness. The findings are particularly pertinent to people who handle marine mammals, such as veterinarians and animal rescue and rehabilitation workers, Goldstein said. They are also a reminder of the importance of wearing personal protective gear when working around marine mammals, both to prevent workers’ exposure to diseases, as well as to prevent the transmission of human diseases to animals.
Photo courtesy of National Park Service.
H1N1 originated in pigs. It emerged in humans in 2009, spreading worldwide as a pandemic. The World Health Organization now considers the H1N1 strain from 2009 to be under control, taking on the behavior of a seasonal virus. “H1N1 was circulating in humans in 2009,” said Goldstein. “The seals on land in early 2010 tested negative before they went to sea, but when they returned from sea in spring 2010, they tested positive. So the question is where did it come from?” When elephant seals are at sea, they spend most of their time foraging in the northeast Pacific Ocean off the continental shelf, which makes direct contact with humans unlikely, the report said. The seals had been satellite tagged and tracked, so the researchers knew exactly where they had been and when they arrived on the coast. The first seal traveled from California on Feb. 11 to southeast Alaska to forage off the continental shelf, returning to Point Piedras Blancas near San Simeon, Calif., on April 24. The second seal left Ano Nuevo State Reserve in San Mateo County, Calif., on Feb. 8, traveling to the northeast Pacific and returning on May 5. Infections in both seals were detected within days of their return to land. The report said exposure likely occurred in the seals before they reached land, either while at sea or upon entering the near-shore environment. – For complete release see http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10572
Influenza:
Global 05/21/13 Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly: by Jonathan Fowler (AFP) – The world is unprepared for a massive virus outbreak, the deputy chief of the World Health Organization warned Tuesday, amid fears that H7N9 bird flu striking China could morph into a form that spreads easily among people. Keiji Fukuda told delegates at a WHO meeting that despite efforts since an outbreak of another form of avian influenza, H1N1, in 2009-10, far more contingency planning was essential. “Even though work has been done since that time, the world is not ready for a large, severe outbreak,” Fukuda said. Rapid-reaction systems were crucial, given that health authorities’ efforts are already hampered by lack of knowledge about such diseases, he insisted. “When people get hit with an emerging disease, you can’t just go to a book and know what to do,” he said. According to the latest official data, H7N9 avian influenza has infected 130 people in China, and killed 
35, since it was found in humans for the first time in March. It is one of a vast array of flu viruses carried by birds, the overwhelming majority of which pose little or no risk to humans. Experts are struggling to understand how it spread to people, amid fears that it could adapt into a form that can be transmitted easily from human to human.- For complete article see http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gA_WiUNz4DDakbWArFcltmTknupw?docId=CNG.945e0940b30f2076656a59b4ea8de2b5.231
Yellow Fever:
Global 05/17/13 who.int: News Release – The yellow fever ‘booster’ vaccination given ten years after the initial vaccination is not necessary, according to WHO. An article published in WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) reveals that the Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) has reviewed the latest evidence and concluded that a single dose of vaccination is sufficient to confer life-long immunity against yellow fever disease. Since yellow fever vaccination began in the 1930s, only 12 known cases of yellow fever post-vaccination have been identified, after 600 million doses have been dispensed. Evidence showed that among this small number of “vaccine failures”, all cases developed the disease within five years of vaccination. This demonstrates that immunity does not decrease with time. . . .
Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes that is endemic to 44 countries in tropical areas of Africa and the Americas. Infection with the yellow fever virus causes varying degrees of disease, from mild symptoms to severe illness with bleeding and jaundice and fatal outcomes. There are an estimated 200 000 cases of yellow fever worldwide each year. About 15% of people infected with yellow fever progress to a severe form of the illness, and up to half of those will die, as there is no cure for yellow fever. – For complete news release see http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/yellow_fever_20130517/en/index.html
Author’s Note: The yellow fever virus is an arbovirus of the flavivirus genus, and the mosquito is the primary vector. It carries the virus from one host to another, primarily between monkeys, from monkeys to humans, and from person to person. Several different species of the Aedes and Haemogogus mosquitoes transmit the virus. The mosquitoes either breed around houses (domestic), in the jungle (wild) or in both habitats (semi-domestic). – Source WHO Yellow Fever Fact Sheet at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/index.html
Rabies:
Missouri 05/20/13 Ozark County: Health officials have confirmed that two skunks captured in the county within the last month have tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/news/article_6539ffdc-c18e-11e2-974e-001a4bcf6878.html
New Hampshire 05/20/13 Grafton County: Two raccoons that were reported to be acting strangely in Hanover last week have tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.boston.com/news/local/new-hampshire/2013/05/20/raccoons-with-rabies-found-town/3DuImvKRJXhRGOw2iXy4PL/story.html
Virginia 05/20/13 James City County: The Peninsula Health District is looking for a large grey dog, possibly a Rottweiler mix, that bit a child on May 9, 2013, near the intersection of Cardinal Court and The Maine W in James City County. Officials say if this dog is not found, the victim may have to undergo post exposure treatment (shots) for the prevention of rabies. Once found, the animal will not be taken away from its owner – only placed on an in-home confinement period of 10 days, officials say. Anyone who has seen an animal that fits this description in that area is asked to contact the Peninsula Health District – Williamsburg Environmental Health Office at (757) 603-4277. – See http://wtkr.com/2013/05/20/officials-search-for-dog-that-may-have-rabies-in-james-city-co/
“The most recent piece of this puzzle, published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine, was the determination that what seemed to be persistent 
disease and relapse actually was a new infection. In that study, Robert B. Nadelman, MD, of New York Medical College in Valhalla, and colleagues conducted genotype analyses of an outer surface protein of B. burgdorferi from 17 patients who had had more than one episode of the pathognomonic erythema migrans rash. In the 22 paired episodes of Lyme disease in this group of patients, not a single one was found to have the same surface protein genotype in either skin or blood cultures for the two episodes. Moreover, the recurrent skin lesions most often developed 1 or 2 years after the initial episode, and did so in the summer months when primary infections are most likely to occur, implying that the individuals had been reinfected.”
Florida 12/28/12 Suwannee County: Health officials have issued a Rabies Alert after a raccoon found in the area west of County Road 49 and south of 296th Street, which is southeast of Branford, tested positive for rabies. – See 
Massachusetts 12/28/12 Middlesex County: A cat that has been roaming around the Vernon Street area in the center of Framingham and bit a person on Dec. 22nd has tested positive for rabies. The animal is described as a young adult domestic short-hair gray tiger. Officials do not know if the cat was feral or a pet and are encouraging anyone bitten or scratched by the animal to seek medical advice immediately. – See 
Pennsylvania 12/27/12 citizenstandard.com: by Rebecca Zemencik – Tri-Valley school officials have reported that approximately 27 Mahantongo Elementary students had come in contact with a stray cat that was determined to have rabies earlier this month. A special meeting was held Tuesday, Dec. 18, in the Mahantongo all-purpose room with representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control to discuss the facts about rabies and to clear up any questions or concerns that parents had. According to Superintendent Mark D. Snyder, sometime between Tuesday, Dec. 4 and Wednesday, Dec. 5, there was a gray, striped farm cat from an adjacent property that had been on school property in the area of the playground and several students had come in contact with the cat. Dr. Amanda Beudoin, DVM, PhD, Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, serving a fellowship with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, assured parents that just because their children may have petted the cat, they would not be susceptible to contracting rabies. “Even though a cat licks itself, a person would not contract rabies by just petting the animal,” said Dr. Beudoin. “However, if that student had a cut or an open wound on their hand, then they should be treated with the rabies vaccines.” Approximately 20 parents attended the meeting and most parents confirmed that they had their children treated as a precautionary measure. Rabies is the type of disease that until symptoms appear it is too late then to treat the disease and death will occur. Mahantongo Elementary Nurse Paula Morgan was actually bitten by the cat and has been undergoing shots every so many days since the incident. – For complete article see 
Texas 12/28/12 Navarro County: A small, 18-month-old dog belonging to a family with a small child in Blooming Grove has tested positive for rabies. – See 
National 12/11/12 cdc.gov: As of December 11, 2012, 48 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 5,387 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 243 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 2,734 (51%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 2,653 (49%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease. The 5,387 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the second week in December since 2003. Eighty percent of the cases have been reported from 13 states (Texas, California, Louisiana, Illinois, Mississippi, South Dakota, Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, Ohio, and New York) and a third of all cases have been reported from Texas. – This will be the last update for 2012 until final data are available in the spring of 2013. – For further details and maps see 
Alabama 12/12/12 oanow.com: by Donathan Prater – A Lee County official is urging residents of one Auburn community to steer clear of any stray animals and to make sure their pet’s vaccinations are up to date after a stray kitten captured there tested positive for rabies. Officials have identified two women the kitten bit in the Town Creek Park area, and they are trying to identify a third woman exposed to the infected animal. Lee County Rabies Officer Buddy Bruce said the two women were bitten and scratched while in the process of trying to capture the kitten. The third woman got food for the kitten was also exposed, Bruce said. “We obviously have a pocket of rabies around the park area there,” Bruce said. After catching the stray kitten, the two women took it to the Lee County Humane Society. They said they reported being bitten, at which point the animal was ordered euthanized and tested for rabies. The results came back positive on Wednesday, Bruce said. Rabies is a contagious, viral and fatal disease transmitted through saliva that attacks the 
nervous system of the infected animal. While the first two women have been contacted and will begin treatment, the third victim has yet to be notified of her exposure. Her name is Ivanka, Bruce said. Wednesday’s rabies case marks the fourth n Lee County this year, Bruce said. Last month, a Chow-mix dog that was abandoned at an Opelika veterinary clinic tested positive for rabies after biting at least one worker. Anyone with information about this case or wishing to report an animal behaving strangely is asked to contact Buddy Bruce at 334-745-0060.
New York 12/10/12 Kings County: On Saturday afternoon, as a Park Slope (Brooklyn) woman ran to the Union Street subway station to catch the R train on Fourth Avenue, two people were trying to control a small, white dog that was barking and lounging on the sidewalk this past Saturday afternoon. Irin Carmon, who is a staff writer for Salon, tried to keep her distance from the excited pooch. However, Carmon was not able to avoid the confrontation before she took the descent into the subway, which ended in a small puncture wound behind her knee. “It didn’t bite me in any kind of crazy way, I didn’t even know I was bitten,” Carmon told Patch in an interview on Monday. “I was late for an appointment and the owners were already halfway down the block.” The canine, described as a “fluffy white dog” on 
Maltese or a Bichon Frise, scratched her on her lower calf and bit her on the inside of her left knee. Carmon said that two people holding the dog also had German Shepherd. She said that the handlers were a man and a woman, both Asian and around 35 to 50 years old. The attack, Carmon said, was unprovoked. If you have any information about the dog or its owners, please let us know! E-mail any tips to: 
South Carolina 12/10/12 Lee County: A raccoon that bit a woman has tested positive for rabies. – See 
In the study, published in October in the journal North American Fauna, the scientists reviewed decades of research on North American wolves, much of it complicated and contradictory. Some studies found 8 subspecies of gray wolves; others suggested as many as 27. Previously, scientists considered eastern wolves a subspecies of gray wolf, Canis lupus lycaon (pronounced LY-can). However, the new review of reams of genetic data suggests that the animal should be classified as a separate species of wolf entirely.
Georgia 11/28/12 cbsatlanta.com: by Katie Brace – A parakeet at Zoo Atlanta has died from a bacterial infection which caused staff to temporarily shut down the Boundless Budgies Parakeet Aviary. On their website, Zoo Atlanta said, “A histopathology report from the parakeet indicated the presence of psittacosis, a bacterial infection that can cause respiratory problems in birds and humans.” The exhibit was closed because the infection may be transmitted to humans through direct handling of infected birds or by inhaling bacteria from bird feces or organic debris. “We routinely conduct necropsies so that we can be as proactive as possible about detecting the presence of disease in our collection, and this is the first example of psittacosis in these parakeets that we have seen at Zoo Atlanta,” said Hayley Murphy, DVM, director of veterinary services. Psittacosis primarily affects parrots, parakeets, macaws, lovebirds and cockatoos.
National 11/27/12 cdc.gov: Update – Forty-eight states have reported WNV infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 5,245 cases of WNV disease in people, including 236 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 2,663 (51%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 2,582 (49%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease. The 5,245 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of WNV disease cases reported to CDC through the last week in November since 2003. Eighty percent of the cases have been reported from 13 states (Texas, California, Louisiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Michigan, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, Ohio, and New York) and a third of all cases have been reported from Texas. – For details and maps see 
Mississippi 11/26/12 msdh.ms.gov: State health officials confirm two new human cases of WNV reported in Wayne and Perry counties, bringing the state total to 244 cases and five deaths. This is the highest number of WNV cases ever reported in Mississippi. – See 
Florida 11/29/12 Hernando County: A raccoon that bit and scratched a teenager and his dog on Monday near Brookside Street in Spring Hill has tested positive for rabies. Authorities encouraged residents in the area of the attack, just east of Mariner Boulevard and north of Elgin Boulevard, to report any stray animals or wild animals exhibiting aggressive or unusual behavior to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. – See 
Florida 11/28/12 Polk County: A bat found at Summerlin Academy in Bartow has tested positive for rabies. One child was potentially exposed to the virus. – See 
New Jersey 11/28/12 Bergen County: A skunk found by county animal control officers in Lyndhurst in the vicinity of Riverside County Park has tested positive for rabies. – See 
New York 11/28/12 Tioga County: Health officials have issued a Rabies Alert after a fox attacked a Tioga Center man and woman in their driveway while they were exiting their vehicle. Both were bitten, but the fox escaped. Due to its erratic behavior, officials are assuming the animal is rabid and both individuals will be treated for potential exposure to the virus. – See 
Wisconsin 11/27/12 Dane County: The Department of Public Health is looking for information regarding a dog that bit a child on 11/21/12. The incident occurred around 6 or 7pm on Darbo Drive, near Worthington Park in the city of Madison. The dog is described as short-haired, medium in size and white with brown spots. Anyone having information regarding this incident is asked to call Police and Fire dispatcher at 255-2345 and ask for the animal services officer. If the animal is not located, the victim may be required to complete a series of painful and costly injections to prevent rabies.
