CALIFORNIA scientists find new VIRUS causing fatal BRAIN CANCER in RACCOONS ~ ANNOUNCEMENT: WASHINGTON wildlife officials schedule public meetings to discuss GRAY WOLF recovery & management ~ IOWA reports rapid increase in domestic DEER with CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ~ FOLLOW-UP REPORT: MASSACHUSETTS BOBCAT had RABIES ~ Other RABIES reports from GA, & VA.

Raccoon kit. Photo courtesy National Park Service.

California 01/09/13 wired.com: by Brandon Keim – An outbreak of a previously unknown virus that causes fatal brain cancer in raccoons has been detected in northern California and southern Oregon. Tumors and the new virus were found in 10 raccoons autopsied between March 2010 and May 2012. Nothing like them had been seen before in raccoons, in which tumors are very rare. There’s no reason to think the virus could be contagious to humans. Its emergence does, however, raise fascinating questions about how it evolved and whether patterns of suburban development actually fueled its rise. “We need to understand how infectious pathogens are empowered by global changes,” said veterinary pathologist Patty Pesavento of the University of California, Davis, leader of the team studying the new disease, which was reported in the January issue of Emerging Infectious Disease. “If there’s a new niche, pathogens will find it.” Nine of the raccoons came from around Marin County, just north of San Francisco, and the 10th was sent from southern Oregon. The raccoons had been spotted wandering in daylight, approaching humans, falling unconscious and generally displaying signs of neurological distress. Tumors appeared to have formed in their olfactory tracts, spread to their frontal lobes and compressed their mid-brains (see picture below). Reviews of scientific literature and calls to veterinary pathologists across North America found no precedents.

Patty Pasavento, DVM

In each of the tumors, but not in brain tissue from raccoons tested for comparison, Pesavento’s team found an unknown form of polyomavirus, one of a group of viruses known to cause a rare form of skin cancer in humans and tumors in other animals, including mice and birds. Pesavento’s team called it raccoon polyomavirus. “The connection between the novel polyomavirus and these raccoon brain tumors is strong,” said disease ecologist Richard Ostfeld of the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, who was not involved in the research. The exact virulence and contagiousness of the new virus is unknown, but there’s reason to think it’s high. Raccoons killed by the tumors accounted for more than one-fifth of all the raccoons Pesavento’s group autopsied between March 2010 and May 2012, and the cases they saw are likely the disease’s tip. Citation: “Novel Polyomavirus associated with Brain Tumors in Free-Ranging Raccoons, Western United States.” By Florante N. Dela Cruz, Federico Giannitti, Linlin Li, Leslie W. Woods, Luis Del Valle, Eric Delwart, and Patricia A. Pesavento. Emerging Infectious Disease, Vol. 19 No. 1, January 2013. – For complete article see http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/01/raccoon-cancer-outbreak/

Announcement:

Wolves:

Washington 01/07/13 wdfw.wa.gov: News Release – The recovery and management of gray wolves in Washington and other western states will be the topic of three public meetings this month hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). A panel of experts will discuss ongoing efforts to recover Washington’s gray wolf population, the latest information from population surveys in Washington and gray wolf management strategies used in other states.  “Wolves are a high-profile species that attract considerable public interest from people who often have opposing views,” said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. “This is a great opportunity for people interested in gray wolves to hear from experts about the recovery of the species throughout the West.” Keynote speakers include Mike Jimenez, Rocky Mountain wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Wyoming; Carter Niemeyer, retired wolf specialist with the USFWS and the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services; and Donny Martorello, WDFW carnivore section manager.  Lorna Smith, executive director of Western Wildlife Outreach, an independent wild carnivore education organization based in the state of Washington, will moderate the meetings. Each meeting will include an opportunity for the public to submit questions to the presenters about wolf recovery and management. The public meetings are scheduled for:

• Jan. 16 – Center Place Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, 6-8 p.m.
• Jan. 17 – Office Building #2, at 14th Ave. and Jefferson St., Olympia, 2:30-5 p.m.
• Jan. 18 – Magnuson Park’s Garden Room, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, 6-8 p.m.

For further details see http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jan0713a/

Chronic Wasting Disease:

Iowa 01/08/13 journalexpress.net : by Mark Newman – News of domesticated deer with chronic wasting disease may become more common. As for the wild deer population, scientists still want assistance. Last week, a third deer in Davis County was revealed to have chronic wasting disease. The state said Pine Ridge hunting preserve cooperated with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in putting up a fence-inside-a-fence to keep their deer from going nose-to-nose with wild deer. And whenever a client on their preserve successfully hunts a deer, that animal is given over to the DNR for testing. Chronic wasting disease causes deer to lose weight, to stumble around or to act extremely sleepy. It eventually results in death of the deer. DNR deer biologist Tom Litchfield told the Courier Monday there are other illnesses that mimic CWD, but any deer that show such symptoms are tested anyway. Scientists have said CWD is not a danger to humans, even those who eat deer meat — though they never recommend eating any infected meat. The initial positive sample was confirmed in July, submitted from a deer shot in December 2011. The second positive test was confirmed Dec. 12, 2012, from a deer harvested Dec. 1. The fear among state officials and nature enthusiasts is that an infected deer in a pen did or will give the disease to deer in the wilderness. The third sample came from a male deer harvested Dec. 15 at the Pine Ridge Hunting Preserve in Davis County. That brings the number of known infected deer in Iowa from zero six months ago to 13 as of this week. All are from enclosed hunting or breeding facilities. – For complete article see http://journalexpress.net/community-news-network/x1633446428/Chronic-wasting-disease-sees-fast-rise-in-Iowa

Follow-Up Report:

(See Likely RABID BOBCAT attacks MASSACHUSETTS MAN and his NEPHEW posted 01/08/13)

Massachusetts 01/09/13 telegram.com: A bobcat that attacked two people in Brookfield on January 6^th has tested positive for rabies. A third was exposed to the animal’s blood. All three had already begun receiving post-exposure rabies vaccinations. – See http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130109/NEWS/101099989/1116

Other Rabies Reports:

Georgia 01/08/13 Fannin County: Health officials confirm four people in Morgantown were exposed to a pet llama that has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/08/4-people-in-northwest-georgia-exposed-to-rabies-by-pet-llama/

Virginia 01/08/13 James City County: A skunk found in the Oakland Subdivision area of the county has tested positive for rabies. – See http://wtvr.com/2013/01/08/skunk-tests-positive-for-rabies-in-james-city-county/

Likely RABID BOBCAT attacks MASSACHUSETTS MAN and his NEPHEW ~ Two WISCONSIN counties report first DEER with CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE ~ RABID RACCOON from CALIFORNIA sails to HAWAII ~ Other RABIES reports from GA, NJ, PA, & TX.

Photo by Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Massachusetts 01/07/13 telegram.com: by Thomas Caywood – Brookfield – The last thing he heard before the bobcat‘s fangs and claws sank into his flesh was hissing. Roger D. Mundell Jr. had just stepped into his garage at 9 a.m. Sunday to retrieve some tie-down ratchet straps for a friend waiting in a car outside. At the time, he didn’t realize that the other door to the garage had been left open. He heard the hiss and barely had time to register what it meant. “In an instant it was on me. It jumped up and bit me above the eye, on my forehead. I have claw marks on the back of my shoulders, like it had me in bear hug,” Mr. Mundell recalled Sunday night. He was wearing a military winter field jacket, which he was able to shrug off over his head, dislodging the bobcat. Mr. Mundell said he dashed out of the garage and slammed the door behind him just in time to see the leaping feline hit the window in the door at full speed. But the bobcat got out through the other door. Mr. Mundell’s wife came out of the house to see what the commotion was about. They went to warn his 15-year-old nephew, who was outside helping prepare a trailer to be towed away, but the bobcat beat him there, Mr. Mundell said. “My forehead and face were bleeding like crazy already. I’m just in a T-shirt now, so my arms are exposed, and I have to go after this thing on my nephew. It scratched up my arms pretty good,” Mr. Mundell said.

Photo by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Mr. Mundell said his wife got some metal crutches out of a car, which they used to try to pin the wild animal down. He shouted for his wife to go get a semi-automatic pistol from inside the house as the hissing bobcat struggled to free itself, he said. Mr. Mundell said he shot and killed the bobcat in his driveway. He estimated the animal weighed about 40 pounds, slightly smaller than the family dog, but strong and lightning fast in its attack. His nephew was bitten a couple of times on the forearm and back and had several scratches. Mr. Mundell had several deep puncture wounds from the bobcat’s fangs on his face and more than two dozen scratches all over him, he said. State Environmental Police took the bobcat’s body away to have it tested for rabies, but, given its behavior, Mr. Mundell and his nephew, as well as his wife, got the first of several rounds of rabies shots yesterday as a precaution. His wife has to be treated for rabies exposure, Mr. Mundell said, because he handed the blood-spattered gun to her to engage the safety latch. – See video, bobcat info and data, and complete article at http://www.telegram.com/article/20130107/NEWS/101079900/0/business
Chronic Wasting Disease:

Wisconsin 01/02/13 cwd-info.org: Two deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, one each in Portage and Juneau counties, reports the state Department of Natural Resources. These are the first positives in wild deer populations for both counties.  “Any CWD positive in a new county is noteworthy, but neither of these positives was completely unexpected,” said Kris Belling, DNR regional wildlife program manager. “We’ve been performing surveillance in Juneau County due to the proximity of the CWD management zone boundary and we’ve been sampling in Portage County for 10 years after positives were discovered on a former game farm.” The two CWD-positive deer were harvested by gun hunters on Nov. 18 and sampled by DNR staff. The Portage County positive was a 1.5-year-old doe, harvested in deer management unit (DMU) 57A, close to the Mead Wildlife Area. The central Juneau County deer was a 4-to 5-year-old buck, harvested in deer management unit DMU 54B, less than two miles from the CWD management zone boundary. – For complete article see http://www.cwd-info.org/index.php/fuseaction/news.detail/ID/4ca2ee18fac6f21a75566238f3070048

Rabies:

HAWAII 01/04/13 sfgate.com: A raccoon that stowed away aboard a cargo ship from California has tested negative for rabies. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture announced the results Friday. Personnel from the shipping company Matson called the department earlier this week after seeing the animal scampering on the ship’s deck in Honolulu. Hawaii is the only rabies-free state, and raccoons are seen as a threat because they could introduce rabies here.

Georgia 01/03/13 Chatham County: A raccoon that was involved in a fight with a family’s dog on Isle of Hope has tested positive for rabies. – See http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2013-01-03/raccoon-tests-positive-rabies-chatham-county#.UOfUFndrRs9

New Jersey 01/04/13 Camden County: A young stray cat that was apparently ill and was found by a Gloucester Township family on their property has tested positive for rabies. The family rescued the kitten and attempted to nurse it back to health but it died the next night. The entire family was exposed to the kitten and is receiving preventive medical care. – See http://www.nj.com/south/index.ssf/2013/01/cat_tests_positive_for_rabies.html

Pennsylvania 01/07/13 Cape May County: A raccoon that was killed by a dog on December 22^nd in Middle Township’s Green Creek area has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Specimen-With-Rabies-Found-After-Dog-Kills-Raccoon-in-Middle-Township-185905012.html

Texas 01/07/13 Department of State Health Services: The Texas Department of State Health Services this week begins its annual airdrop of rabies vaccine baits over portions of southern and western Texas in the continuing effort to protect people and animals from rabies. Planes will take off from an airport in Del Rio around dawn Wednesday, Jan. 9 and from Alpine and Zapata Monday, Jan. 14. They will drop about 1 million doses of rabies vaccine over wild areas of Texas as part of the DSHS Oral Rabies Vaccination Program. – For complete News Release see https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/13c16dd1ee11ba2f

NORTH CAROLINA man kills RABID BOBCAT with tire iron ~ CONNECTICUT town seeks to trap COYOTE killing PETS ~ CALIFORNIA confirms four new cases of MURINE TYPHUS ~ EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS & WEST NILE VIRUS reports from AL, CT, GA, ME, MAx3, & CANADA: ONTARIO ~ RABIES reports from NH, & TX.

Bobcat. Photo by Terry Spivey. Courtesy U.S.D.A. Forest Service.

North Carolina 08/23/12 starnewsonline.com: by Gareth McGrath – A bobcat in Oak Island that was killed with a tire iron after attacking people and a dog last week is the fourth confirmed case of rabies in Brunswick County this year. The report adds to a worrisome trend of rabies cases in the area for 2012. New Hanover County has recorded 13 cases so far this year. There were six confirmed rabies cases in the county in 2011. On Aug. 17, a man on Long Beach Road on the mainland part of Oak Island saw a bobcat chasing his dog. According to a release from the Brunswick County Health Department, the bobcat took a single swipe at the dog and then fled into the woods. About an hour later, the bobcat charged a second man in his yard and tried to attack him. The man grabbed a tire iron, threw it at the animal and killed it, the release says. The bobcat was sent to the N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health in Raleigh for testing, where it was found to be rabid. Health officials determined that neither man needed treatment, since they hadn’t come in physical contact with the animal, and the dog only needed a booster shot since it was up to date on its rabies vaccinations. – For complete article see http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20120823/ARTICLES/120829834?Title=Rabid-bobcat-killed-in-Oak-Island

Connecticut 08/23/12 patch.com: Danbury officials are searching for a coyote trapper who the city can hire to remove a coyote who has been attacking pets along Tammany Trail and neighboring streets. People have been asking why the city or the police or the DEEP doesn’t just shoot the coyote. Danbury is a city and the city has ordinances that say people can’t fire guns in Danbury. The city will hire a trapper instead. “I’m glad,” said Cathy Moore, 15 Tammany Trail, who lost a cat, perhaps, to the coyote everyone has seen stalking the backyards of Tammany Trail. Moore has gone door to door in the neighborhood to alert people to the threat. – For complete article see http://danbury.patch.com/articles/danbury-to-capture-and-remove-tammany-coyote

Flea.

California 08/23/12 ktla.com: An outbreak of a dangerous disease is spreading in the San Fernando Valley — flea-borne typhus. Health officials have confirmed that four people have contracted Murine typhus in Burbank. Two cases originated in the 700 block of Screenland Drive. Both of those men were treated at local hospitals and released. – For complete article see http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-typhus-outbreak-burbank,0,6483955.story

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

Alabama 08/23/12 Birmingham, Jefferson County: WNV has killed a horse in the city, but a local vet believes others have also died of the disease. Statewide, there have been 12 confirmed human cases of WNV so far this year. – See http://www.waff.com/story/19350054/west-nile-virus-kills-horse-infects-more-people

Connecticut 08/23/12 dph.ct.gov: Health Alert – Officials announced today that two more residents have tested positive for WNV infection. These results bring the total number of human cases of WNV infection in the state to four this year. The state also announced that mosquitoes trapped in Voluntown on August 13 tested positive for WNV. – See https://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&shva=1#inbox/1395559e2dce59f3

Georgia 08/23/12 wwntradio.com: The number of  WNV human cases in South Georgia has risen to 12 according to the Southwest Health District, and three people have died. One of the deaths was in Early County, and two were in Dougherty, and all in the last week. The 12 cases were diagnosed in Dougherty, two in Lee, one in Early, one in Mitchell, and one in Worth counties. – See http://www.wwntradio.com/news/news.php/displayType/article/10972/2012/08/three-confirmed-west-nile-deaths-in-southwest-ga

Maine 08/23/12 mainepublichealth.gov: Update – On Aug. 17, a mosquito pool tested positive for WNV. The pool of mosquitoes was collected Aug. 1 in the town of Lebanon. Since then, a second mosquito pool from Cumberland County tested positive.- For complete Update see https://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&shva=1#inbox/139546fa4e37c038

Massachusetts 08/23/12 Hopkinton, Middlesex County: Health department director Edward Wirtanen said today that WNV and EEE have been discovered in mosquitoes trapped within municipal limits. – See http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1843773346/EEE-and-West-Nile-virus-found-in-Hopkinton-mosquitoes

Massachusetts 08/23/12 Ashland, Middlesex County: The local health director announced today that WNV has been detected in mosquitoes trapped within municipal limits. – See http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/newsnow/x2118934649/Mosquitoes-in-Ashland-test-positive-for-West-Nile-virus

Massachusetts 08/23/12 Georgetown, Essex County: The state’s Department of Health has classified Georgetown at a “critical risk” for EEE, a rare but serious viral disease. According to an announcement on the Georgetown website, a horse tested positive for EEE earlier this week. – See http://www.wickedlocal.com/georgetown/news/x1405831771/Triple-E-found-in-Georgetown#axzz24R1wfSCP

Canada:

Ontario 08/23/12 Windsor & Essex counties: There are six new possible human cases of WNV in the counties, bringing the total number of confirmed or possible local cases this summer to 10. . . The 10 local cases range in age from a 25-year-old woman to a 71-year-old man. The 10 are made up of six women and four men. – For complete article see http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/08/23/six-new-possible-cases-of-west-nile-virus-in-windsor-essex/

Rabies:

New Hampshire 08/23/12 Farmington, Strafford County: Police are actively patrolling the area of Acorn Court, picking up felines, after reports of a woman bitten by a cat and exposed to rabies. Police are encouraging pet owners to keep their cats inside, or to have readily identifiable owner information on their pet, in case they are picked up during the search. Interim Police Chief Kevin Willey says the department will make every effort to return owned cats to their caretakers. On Aug. 21, the department investigated a report of a cat bite on Acorn Court, a dead end street in the downtown area. Upon testing the cat, it was determined the animal had rabies and information was passed along to the bitten resident so she could make arrangements for medical treatment, Willey said . . . According to a department press release, Animal Control Officer Kate Koval learned numerous other cats lived in and around the victim’s residence on Acorn Court. A nearby garage had at least six cats, according to police report, in varying degrees of health. Those cats were captured and euthanized before being sent to the state lab for testing. – See http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120823/GJNEWS_01/120829875/-1/FOSNEWS

Texas 08/23/12 San Marcos, Hays County: A bat that was found inside the front foyer at San Marcos High School on Monday has tested positive for rabies. A public health notice has been issued. Anyone who might have come in contact with the bat is advised to seek immediate medical advice. – See http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/hays/rabid-bat-found-at-san-marcos-hs

CALIFORNIA officers capture BOBCAT in residential area ~ OREGON confirms HUMAN case of HANTAVIRUS in Linn County ~ TENNESSEE reporting more than 100 cases of ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER this year ~ WEST NILE VIRUS reports from CA, LA, & PA ~ COYOTE attacks on PETS reported in CA, MA, & NM ~ RABIES reports from CO (2), DE, IL, & PA.

Bobcat. Photo by City of Folsom, California.

California 06/02/12 sacbee.com: A dehydrated bobcat captured in a Riverside County backyard is being cared for at the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert. Department of Animal Services spokesman John Welsh says officers used a catch pole to restrain the male bobcat, which officials estimate is a year old. Welsh said the bobcat, which weighs about 16 pounds, was dehydrated and seemed lethargic. It was discovered in a residential area of Rubidoux. Welsh told Desert Sun officials he hopes the bobcat can eventually be released back into the wild.

Deer mouse. Photo by Idaho Public Health.

Oregon 06/02/12 democratherald.com: by Alex Paul – (Excerpts) “The first case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has been confirmed in Linn County, according to Frank Moore, director of the Linn County Health Department. Moore said the victim became ill after cleaning out a building where rodents had been seen. He was hospitalized last week, but is now recovering at home. The disease is transmitted by touching deer mice droppings or breathing contaminated dust, but can also be transmitted by a bite.” “Sixteen cases have been reported in Oregon including one each in Jefferson and Deschutes counties in 2011. Moore said there have been four Oregon deaths.” – For complete article see http://democratherald.com/news/local/first-case-of-hantavirus-confirmed-in-linn-county/article_6cf13fae-ac24-11e1-b13a-0019bb2963f4.html

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever petechial rash.

Tennessee 06/03/12 herald-citizen.com: by Amye Wright – The latest numbers are in and, so far, 18 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever have been reported in the Upper Cumberland Region — more than 100 cases statewide this year alone.  “There’s a fair amount of (the disease) here; it’s not common but it’s certainly not uncommon,” Dr. Mark Pierce, an infectious disease specialist at Cookeville Regional Medical Center, said. “Eastern Tennessee is probably worse than Western Tennessee.”  He adds there is no way to visibly tell if a tick is carrying the disease.  “(Specialists) can culture ticks and see if they carry it but you can’t tell by looking at it,” Pierce said. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is considered the most serious tick-borne disease in the United States. “Rocky Mountain spotted fever is present in the United States through Canada (and) South America, for the most part,” Pierce said. “In the U.S., the most common areas are the south eastern United States and the south central United States so this is one of the highest endemic areas. Usually North Carolina and Tennessee are the two states that carry the most of it.” – For complete article, with symptoms and precautions, see http://www.herald-citizen.com/view/full_story/18837660/article-18-cases-of-spotted-fever-reported?instance=homefirstleft

California 06/01/12 Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control: Seven mosquito samples have tested positive for the West Nile virus, the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District said Friday. That brings the total number of positive samples so far this year to eight. The samples were collected May 22 from mosquito traps southeast of Mecca near the Salton Sea. – See http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120602/NEWS01/206020319/Mosquito-samples-test-positive-West-Nile-virus

Louisiana 06/01/12 Quachita Parish Mosquito Abatement District: Ouachita Parish’s first positive test this year for West Nile virus in a mosquito pool was reported Friday. The Ouachita Parish Mosquito Abatement District reported having received information from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals of a positive test for West Nile virus in one pool representing one location in the Garden District of Monroe. – http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20120602/NEWS01/206020317

Pennsylvania 06/02/12 York, York County: A Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection test on May 29 found West Nile Virus in York County. The mosquito sample taken in York city is the second collection to test positive for the virus locally. – See http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_20767673/second-sampling-mosquitoes-tests-positive-west-nile-york

California 06/03/12 Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County: Saugus neighborhood resident said a coyote attacked her cat on May 31^st, and the pet’s injuries were so severe it had to be euthanized. – See http://www.the-signal.com/section/36/article/67057/

Massachusetts 06/03/12 Lynn, Essex County: Officials post notices at Lynn Woods Reservation advising visitors to keep pets on a leash after seven reports of coyotes attacking dogs in the area during the month of May. – See http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2012/06/02/dog-walkers-alert-following-coyote-attacks/W148TP8kZsPffC4TKE9nnO/story.html

New Mexico 05/29/12 Bayo Canyon, Santa Fe County: A 55 pound Labrador Retriever walking in the canyon with her master and another dog on May 26^th was attacked by a pack of five coyotes. Both dogs were injured but are recovering. – See http://ladailypost.drupalgardens.com/content/five-coyotes-attack-local-pets

Colorado 06/01/12 Fort Collins, Larimer County: Two skunks found in open space areas near the city have tested positive for rabies. This brings the total number of skunks found in the Ft. Collins area and testing positive for the virus to ten in the last month. Three rabid bats have also been found in the county this month. – See http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/06/01/2-more-rabid-skunks-found-near-fort-collins-2/

Colorado 06/01/12 Greeley, Weld County: A live bat found by several children while playing in Allen Park at 49^th Avenue and 9^th Street has tested positive for rabies. The children reported the bat to authorities and no one is known to have been exposed to the virus. – See http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20120601/NEWS/706019981/1002&parentprofile=1001

Delaware 06/01/12 Newport, New Castle County: A cat that bit or scratched at least five people in the vicinity of Cedar Avenue near Route 141 has tested positive for rabies. Anyone exposed to an aggressive cat in that area is urged to contact the Division of Public Health Rabies Program at 302-744-1070. – See http://www.wdel.com/story.php?id=43229

Illinois 06/01/12 Lake Barrington, Lake County: A bat found inside a home on May 24^th has tested positive for rabies. This is the third bat testing positive for the virus in the county this year. – See http://newssun.suntimes.com/news/12916397-418/rabid-bat-found-in-lake-barrington.html

Pennsylvania 06/02/12 Jessup Township, Susquehanna County: A paralyzed cat that became vicious in the vicinity of Toad Hallow Road has tested positive for rabies. One human was exposed to the virus. – See http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/susquehanna-county-cat-tested-positive-for-rabies-1.1324162

NORTH CAROLINA resident attacked by RABID FOX ~ FLORIDA photographer caught in classic moral dilemma ~ TEXAS confirms HUMAN case of WEST NILE VIRUS ~ other RABIES reports from CO, KS, NM, NC, VA, WY, & ONTARIO, CANADA ~ CDC REPORTS: ZOONOTIC DISEASE summary for week ending May 19, 2012.

Gray fox. Courtesy Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

North Carolina 05/30/12 Wilmington, New Hanover County: A fox that attacked and bit a person on Myrtle Grove Road  while working in the yard on May 27^th was killed by a neighbor and has tested positive for rabies. This is the 10^th case of animal rabies in the county so far this year. – See http://myrtlegrove.wect.com/news/environment/56344-rabid-fox-bites-person-wrist-myrtle-grove-area

Florida 05/31/12 Tampa, Hillsborough County: For some fascinating camera shots of an alligator creeping up on a distracted bobcat, and a very interesting article about the photographer’s moral dilemma, see http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2012/5/30/this_is_florida_gato.html

Texas 05/31/12 Denton County: Health officials have confirmed the first human case of West Nile Virus infection this year in the southern portion of the county. – See http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Denton-County-Confirms-First-West-Nile-Case-of-2012-155994365.html

Colorado 05/31/12 Westminster, Adams and Jefferson counties: An injured bat picked up last week in the 10200 block of Dover Street has tested positive for rabies. A pet cat that later bit and scratched a family member may have been exposed to the virus. – See http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/broomfield-news/ci_20753622/rabid-bat-found-westminster

Kansas 05/29/12 Saline County: A bat found in the county has tested positive for rabies. This is the second confirmed case of rabies in the county this year, and the 27^th case statewide. – See http://www.salina.com/news/story/bat5-29-12

New Mexico 05/31/12 Las Cruces, Doña Ana County: Animal Control officers are looking for the owner of three Newfoundland dogs that attacked and bit a man Tuesday morning near a Las Cruces elementary school, according to Las Cruces Police officials. At around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29, a 33-year-old contractor was working on the campus of University Hills Elementary School, at 2005 Locust St., when three adult Newfoundland dogs approached and bit him, according to police. The man was bitten several times but the injuries were minor. According to Animal Control officers, a woman was walking the dogs, unleashed, inside the school grounds at the time of the attack. The victim told Animal Control officers that the woman had another dog, possibly a dog of mixed-breed, with her at the time but that pet did not bite him. Animal Control officers are trying to find out if the three Newfoundland dogs are current on vaccinations, otherwise the victim may have to undergo treatment for rabies. Anyone with information on the owner of the three Newfoundland dogs, an owner who possibly lives in or near the University Hills neighborhood off of Locust Street, is asked to call the Las Cruces Police Department’s Animal Control office at (575) 528-4100.

North Carolina 05/30/12 Cumberland County: A stray cat that bit two people in the vicinity of the 600 block of Carver Falls Road on May 27^th has tested positive for rabies. – See http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8682014

Virginia 06/01/12 Rocky Gap, Bland County: A raccoon captured in the Laurel Ford Road vicinity has tested positive for rabies. Two vaccinated dogs may have been exposed to the virus. – See http://www2.swvatoday.com/news/2012/may/31/rabid-raccoon-collected-rocky-gap-ar-1955474/

Wyoming 05/31/12 Dayton, Sheridan County: A skunk that bit a dog in the vicinity of West 2^nd Avenue earlier this week has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.sheridanmedia.com/news/rabid-skunk-found-dayton36801

Canada:

Ontario 05/31/12 Perth District Health Unit, Perth County: A stray cat that was behaving abnormally and acting aggressively has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2012/05/31/rabies-confirmed-in-perth-county-cat

CDC Reports:

CDC MMWR Summary for Week ending May 19, 2012:

Published May 25, 2012/ 61(20); ND-269-ND-282

Anaplasmosis . . . 9 . . . Maine (2), New York (6), Rhode Island,

Babesiosis . . . 2 . . . New York (2),

Brucellosis . . . 1 . . . California, 

Ehrlichiosis . . . 7 . . . Arkansas (2), Florida (2), Maryland, Missouri (2),

Giardiasis . . . 128 . . . Alaska, Arizona, California (21), Connecticut, Florida (27), Idaho, Iowa (3), Maine, Maryland (4), Michigan (2), Missouri (5), Nebraska, Nevada, New York (12), Ohio (13), Oregon (6), Pennsylvania (11), Rhode Island (2), South Carolina (4), Washington (10), Wisconsin,

Hansen Disease (Leprosy) . . . 1 . . . Florida, 

HME/HGE Undetermined . . . 3 . . . Indiana, Missouri (2), 

Lyme Disease . . .  95. . .  Connecticut, Delaware (2), Florida, Georgia, Maryland (23), Nebraska, New York (29), Ohio, Pennsylvania (23), Rhode Island (3), Vermont (4), Virginia (6),

Q Fever (Acute) . . . 2 . . . California, Michigan,

Rabies (Animal) . . . 59. . . Alabama (2), Arkansas, Illinois (4), Kentucky, Maine (2), Missouri (2), New York (11), Ohio, Oklahoma , Texas (10), Vermont, Virginia (17), West Virginia (6),

Spotted Fever including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Confirmed) . . . 4. . . California, Georgia (2), Missouri,

Spotted Fever including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Probable) . . . 15 . . . Arkansas (2), Colorado, Kentucky, Missouri (5), Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia (4),

Tularemia . . . 1 . . . Missouri.

TEXAS woman reports prowling BOBCAT in Dallas suburb ~ OHIO town’s CATs being taken by COYOTES ~ HAWAII officials find discovery of Aedes aegypti MOSQUITO on OAHU troubling ~ FOLLOW-UP REPORTS: BEAR that bit FLORIDA woman has been euthanized ~ RABIES reports from CA, FL, GA, ME, NY, NC (2), & VA (2).

Bobcat. Courtesy National Park Service.

Texas 03/21/12 Frisco, Collin & Denton Counties: A resident of The Lakes neighborhood reported a bobcat prowling in her yard. Greg Carr, the city’s animal control officer, said the early and warmer spring has brought out a lot of bobcats and coyotes. He said he doesn’t know of any attacks in the area, but added it’s smart to be cautious. For complete article see http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/03/21/early-spring-brining-bobcats-into-frisco-subdivisions/#photo-1

Ohio 03/21/12 Newcomerstown, Tuscarawas County: Coyotes living in the woods near Cy Young Park are edging closer to homes in the area. A N. College Street resident recently witnessed two coyotes kill a black cat. See http://www.timesreporter.com/news/x738244732/Coyotes-edge-closer-to-homes

Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Hawaii 03/20/12 therepublic.com: The state Department of Health says a mosquito species capable of rapidly spreading dengue and yellow fever was found on Oahu for the first time in 60 years. The discovery was made at Honolulu International Airport. The department said Tuesday its vector control program identified the species on March 5. The department is calling on residents to remove standing water to reduce mosquito populations. The species Aedes aegypti was last found on Oahu in 1949. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s very difficult to control or eliminate the mosquito because it adapts to its environment. They rapidly bounce back after drought or mosquito extermination efforts. The mosquito’s eggs can survive without water for several months on the inner walls of containers.

Follow-Up Reports:

(March 17, 2012: FLORIDA woman bitten by BLACK BEAR.)

Florida 03/22/12 orlandosentinel.com: by Amy Pavuk – Excerpts . . “State wildlife officials captured and euthanized a bear Thursday that bit a woman at a Longwood apartment complex last week.” “On Thursday morning, the bear was in the dumpster at the apartment complex, and her 14-month-old cub was caught in a trap that was set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Officials used a tranquilizer gun to catch the mother bear, and later euthanized the animal, which is agency policy, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Joy Hill. ‘The bear has lost all fear of people. She has bitten somebody. This behavior would not change,’ Hill said. ‘We can’t risk her hurting anybody else. We can’t release her because she would pick up the same behavior somewhere else.’ Wildlife officials will place the cub in a captive situation, which could be a zoo or some other type of private habitat. But it’s too early to say exactly where the cub will go, Hill said.” – For complete article see http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-03-22/news/os-bear-bite-captured-longwood-20120322_1_cub-wildlife-conservation-commission-wildlife-officials

California 03/21/12 South Davis, Yolo County: Animal Services officials are looking for a large, brown Siamese-mix cat that bit a man earlier this week near M Street and Duke Drive to determine if the victim needs rabies post-exposure prophylactic treatment. See http://davis.patch.com/articles/yolo-sheriff-s-office-seeks-biting-cat

Florida 03/20/12 Bartow, Polk County: A raccoon killed by three stray dogs on the 5400 block of Flood Court has tested positive for rabies. The dogs have been quarantined. See http://www.theledger.com/article/20120320/NEWS/120329935

Georgia 03/21/12 Albany, Dougherty County: A fox that attacked a woman and her dog earlier this week in a mobile home community on Sylvester Road has tested positive for rabies. Police managed to track the animal and shot it. See http://www.walb.com/story/17212568/woman-attacked-by-fox

Maine 03/22/12 Kennebunk, York County: A raccoon found dead March 12^th in a resident’s yard on Sea Road has tested positive for rabies. Three dogs were exposed but all were vaccinated. See http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120322/NEWS/203220352/-1/NEWSMAP

New York 03/22/12 West Elmira, Chemung County: Health officials are looking for a dog that bit a person on March 13^th in the vicinity of West Water Street near Evergreen. The dog is described as a Golden Retriever and was being walked by a woman accompanied by another woman with two black Labs. If the dog is not found the victim will have to receive rabies post-exposure treatment. See http://www.the-leader.com/newsnow/x1581727061/Health-Department-seeking-dog-in-West-Elmira

North Carolina 03/20/12 Gumtree, Davidson County: A raccoon that fought with two vaccinated dogs was shot and has tested positive for rabies. The dogs received booster shots. There was no human exposure. See http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20120320/News/303209994

North Carolina 03/22/12 Cary, Wake County: Three dogs were euthanized after one killed a raccoon that later tested positive for rabies. Police found the raccoon dead near Cary Glen Blvd. and Mintawood Court. See http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/21/1948951/three-cary-dogs-euthanized-after.html

Virginia 03/22/12 Naxera, Gloucester County: A raccoon shot earlier this week in the Lands End Road area has tested positive for rabies. See http://www.dailypress.com/news/gloucester-county/dp-nws-gloucester-rabid-raccoon-0323-20120322,0,6174942.story

Virginia 03/21/12 Pittsylvania County: A skunk captured in the Climax Road area has tested positive for rabies. This is the fifth rabies alert for the county in five weeks. See http://www.wset.com/story/17213599/another-rabies-warning-for-pittsylvania-county

TEXAS wardens shoot BOBCAT in residential area ~ OREGON House votes to authorize killing of two ranch-raiding WOLVES ~ TEXAS city hires private contractor to deal with COYOTE issue ~ RABIES reports from ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, & SOUTH CAROLINA ~ GLOBAL: WHO calls for publication of new H5N1 BIRD FLU VIRUS studies ~ TRAVEL WARNINGS: Health Minister of BRAZIL warns Rio facing DENGUE epidemic as Carnival frenzy begins.

Bobcat. Photo by Maine Wildlife Park, Maine.gov.

Texas 02/19/12 elpasotimes.com: by Hayley Kappes – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens shot and killed a bobcat just before 6 p.m. Saturday that they said was behaving erratically in a Central El Paso backyard. Game Warden Ray Spears said initial reports stated a mountain lion was in a backyard near Raynolds and Bataan, but it was a bobcat. The animal was not afraid of humans and was behaving as if it were sick, which is a concern since bobcats are rabies carriers, Spears said. “It’s not something that could have been trapped or tranquilized,” Spears said. “When we can tranquilize or trap a wild animal, we try to do that, but it displayed unnatural behavior. It wasn’t scared of humans. Sometimes when they get sick, they’re not scared of humans.” Animal control officials will test the carcass for rabies. It’s not unusual for wild animals seeking food and water to wander into the city during a drought, Spears said. Bobcat sightings near Austin High School were reported in June, and game wardens in May shot and killed a mountain lion in Downtown El Paso.

Oregon 02/18/12 eastoregonian.com: The Oregon House voted Friday to allow state officials to kill two wolves that have been blamed for killing livestock, a priority for ranchers that is opposed by conservation groups. The legislation is an attempt to resolve a potential conflict between Oregon’s wolf management plan and the state Endangered Species Act. The Oregon Court of Appeals last year temporarily blocked the state from carrying out a kill order on two wolves from the Imnaha pack in northeastern Oregon. Judges ruled that conservation groups had a good chance of succeeding with a legal claim that state protections for endangered species overruled the wolf management plan, which allows wolves to be killed to reduce livestock attacks. The House approved the measure 42-15, sending it to the Senate. – For complete article go to http://www.eastoregonian.com/free/house-votes-two-wolves-can-be-killed/article_c870a592-59ed-11e1-972c-001871e3ce6c.html

Texas 02/16/12 Bryan, Brazos County: Excerpts – “Coyotes are continuing to show up around the city of Bryan. We’ve told you about the animals attacking small pets and even killing some, but now there are reports that size may not matter for the predatory animals.” “The city of Bryan recently hired Texas Agrilife to help control the Coyote issue. The city is asking residents to put garbage in covered containers and do not leave food out for pets. The city has also provided a pamphlet for residents to educate them about coyotes.”  With Agri-Life Tips on Suburban Coyotes. See http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/139482828.html

Arkansas 02/17/12 Valley Springs, Boone County: A skunk is the fourth animal to test positive for rabies in the county this year. See http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-fourth-confirmed-rabies-case-has-boone-county-ar-residents-proactive-with-pets-20120217,0,325092.story

Florida 02/17/12 Fountain, Bay County: A raccoon killed by a dog near the intersection of Sweetwater Branch and Nonawood roads is the second animal to test positive for rabies in the county this year. See http://www.newsherald.com/articles/new-100487-rabies-alert.html

South Carolina 02/17/12 Columbia, Richland County: Two individuals were attacked by foxes yesterday in separate incidents near the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center. Sue Ferguson of DHEC’s Bureau of Environmental Health said, “Avoid wild animals acting tame and tame animals acting wild,” Ferguson adds, “About 400 South Carolinians must undergo preventive treatment for rabies every year, with most exposures from being bitten or scratched by a rabid or suspected rabid animal.” See http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story.aspx?id=720926#.Tz8mH7Q17WC

Global 02/18/12 usnews.com: Research on a mutated, more contagious form of the bird flu virus can be published in full, the World Health Organization announced Friday, despite concerns that bioterrorists could use the information to start a pandemic. The decision came during a special meeting of 22 bird flu experts in Geneva that was convened by the WHO to discuss the “urgent issues” that have swirled around possible publication of the two bird flu studies since last November, The New York Times reported Saturday. Most of those at the meeting felt that any theoretical terrorist risk was outweighed by the “real and present danger” of similar flu virus mutations occurring naturally in the wild, and by the need for the scientific community to share information that could help identify exactly when the virus might be developing the ability to spread more easily, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Times. Fauci represented the United States at the meeting. “The group consensus was that it was much more important to get this information to scientists in an easy way to allow them to work on the problem for the good of public health,” Fauci said. “It was not unanimous, but a very strong consensus.” However, Fauci added, the United States was not part of that consensus. U.S. bio-security chiefs had urged last November that critical specifics of the papers remain unpublished.

Although the bird flu virus, known as H5N1, rarely infects people, it appears to be highly lethal when it does. Of about 600 known cases, more than half have been fatal. If the virus were able to spread more easily from birds to humans, experts have estimated that millions of people could die after being infected. The two studies at the center of the debate were to be published in the journals Science and Nature late last year. The papers, which were funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, describe how the H5N1 virus could mutate relatively easily into a strain that could spread rapidly among humans. The research was done by scientists at the University of Wisconsin and in the Netherlands. The editors of both journals said they plan to publish the papers in full at a future date. “Discussions at the WHO meeting made it clear how ineffective redaction and restricted distribution would be for the Nature paper. It also underlined how beneficial publication of the full paper could be. So, that is how we intend to proceed,” Dr. Philip Campbell, editor-in-chief of Nature, said in a statement. “As was expressed at the WHO meeting, there is a need first to explore how best to communicate the issues of publication to a concerned public, and to review safety assurance of labs who would act on this publication. I fully support the WHO’s further efforts in this regard.”

Speaking at a scientific meeting in Vancouver, Science editor-in-chief Bruce Alberts had this to say about the WHO decision: “So, my reading is that both Nature and Science are to wait until we get some further information from the WHO and other authorities of when, in fact, we are to publish the full manuscript.” Before the two studies can be published, the experts at the WHO meeting said that security assessments must be made, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Another meeting on the remaining issues will be held at a future date, the WHO said in a statement. The scientists behind the research had agreed on Jan. 20 to honor a 60-day moratorium on further studies, the Herald reported, but that deadline will now be extended for an unspecified time to allow for a wider examination of the risks and for public discussion. For more on how the bird flu virus might be able to infect humans, visit the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Travel Warnings:

Brazil 02/17/12 google.com: Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilla on Thursday warned that Rio de Janeiro faced a major dengue epidemic, although he said the virus strain prevalent was not fatal. “I believe that Rio could this year face one of the worst dengue epidemics in its history, in terms of number of cases,” he said in a television interview. Padilla said the dengue virus strain prevalent in Rio was not the most serious and was not fatal. The official Agencia Brasil said since the start of the year, 3,499 dengue cases have been recorded in Rio, compared with 2,322 last year, but none were fatal. The government said that nationally cases dropped 62 percent this year to 40,486. Dengue affects between 50 and 100 million people in the tropics and subtropics each year, resulting in fever, muscle and joint ache. But it can also be fatal, developing into hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome, which is characterized by bleeding and a loss of blood pressure. The news comes as Carnival frenzy sweeps Brazil and the South American powerhouse prepares for a week of sizzling samba dancing, glittering parades and unabashed merry-making in Rio and other cities.

PENNSYLVANIA HUNTER exposed to RABIES by field dressing a DEER ~ RHODE ISLAND officials concerned about unidentified man showing a possibly RABID BAT to PEOPLE in a public square ~ other RABIES reports from FLORIDA, GEORGIA, MARYLAND, NEW JERSEY, OKLAHOMA, & VIRGINIA.

Whitetail Deer. Photo by Wisconsin DNR.

Pennsylvania 02/02/12 state.pa.us: News Release – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today announced that a Lancaster County hunter has undergone post-exposure rabies shots after harvesting and field dressing a deer on Jan. 20, in Valley Township, Chester County, that ultimately tested positive for rabies. “The hunter contacted us about his concerns that the deer was unfit for human consumption,” said John Veylupek, Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO).  “The hunter said that he saw the deer standing in a creek, straining and growling.  He thought there was a coyote nearby from the sounds the deer was making.  “After gathering information from the hunter, as well as samples for testing, it was determined that the deer was rabid. Because the hunter had scratches on his hands and had field dressed the deer without wearing gloves, we considered this a human exposure and urged him to contact his doctor about post-exposure rabies shots.”

Dr. Walter Cottrell, Game Commission wildlife veterinarian, reiterated the agency’s long-standing recommendations that hunters and trappers avoid harvesting animals that appear sick and to wear rubber or latex gloves when field dressing any mammal. “All mammals are susceptible to rabies and can spread the virus in the right circumstances,” Dr. Cottrell said. “To prevent the spread of wildlife diseases, we encourage hunters and trappers to contact the Game Commission about any animals that they encounter that may appear to be sick.  Also, when field dressing any mammal, it is critical to wear rubber or latex gloves to prevent exposure to not just rabies, but also to other disease organisms.”

Rhode Island 02/02/12 wpri.com: by Carl Sisson – An unusual sight in downtown Providence last week as an unidentified man was in Kennedy Plaza, showing off a bat he had in a box. It happened around 8:45 in the morning on January 23rd. “This bat, we don’t know if it had rabies or not”, says Peter Hanney, Department of Health spokesperson. “So out of an abundance of caution we’re asking people to please give us a call at the Department of Health.” Health officials were first alerted to the incident by a health care provider who treated two people who came in contact with the bat. “Two individuals were treated, one for a bat bite and the other for suspected rabies exposure. They informed the health care provider that they received this from a bat in a box from an individual in Kennedy Plaza,” adds Hanney.

Bat bite.

Health officials say they’re concerned about the incident because five percent of all bats have rabies and bat rabies is extremely contagious. “There’s different types of rabies, and the bat strain is really contagious. It doesn’t need to be from a bite. It can be just from the saliva if it gets into any mucous membranes or small cuts that you may have on you, you can contract rabies that way too. left untreated it is deadly,” says Hanney. The unidentified man who originally had the bat in a box is in his 50′s, about six feet tall with a beard and he was wearing glasses at the time. Anyone who may have had contact with the bat are asked to call the Department of Health at 222-2577 or after hours at 272-5952, for a risk assessment.

Florida 02/02/12 West Bay, Bay County: A bobcat that was killed by a dog just south of the Highway 79 Buchanan Bridge has tested positive for rabies. See http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/Bobcat_Tests_Positive_for_Rabies_138488834.html

Georgia 02/02/12 Maysville, Jackson County: As it was happening, Raymond Parks didn’t think he’d be around later to tell the story. He was rushed and attacked by a 900 pound animal. The cow put a gash on his head and threw him into a barbed wire fence.  ”I thought she would kill me before she’d leave me alone,” Parks said.  As the cow head-butted him and broke some of his ribs, Parks went for his shotgun. He landed three blasts on the animal, but it didn’t die. Instead, it slowly walked away and laid down, where a vet arrived several days later to put it down. Tests have now proved the animal had rabies, a rarity in cattle. Most rabies cases are seen in meat-eaters, or smaller animals like raccoons. Parks’ Maysville farm is just down the road from where a rabid bobcat was discovered a few days ago. Jackson County has now seen three cases of rabies in January, a month that didn’t see one case in 2011. – For complete article see http://www.11alive.com/News/Odd/225625/186/Rabid-cow-attacks-farmer

Maryland 02/02/12 Cambridge, Dorchester County: A large, gray cat that bit two women and was found in the 2200-block of Hudson Road has tested positive for rabies, the Dorchester County Health Department said Wednesday. The two women who were bitten by the cat during the past several days are now undergoing post-exposure rabies treatment at Dorchester General Hospital, according to Paul Galanek of the Dorchester County Health Department. Galanek issued a warning about the large, gray cat roaming in the area near Horn Point and Hudson roads. He said it is important that anyone who has had contact with the cat, or whose pets have had contact with the cat, to contact Kim Keene at the DCHD by calling 443-521-4996. See http://www.stardem.com/news/local_news/article_0e94d7f8-b92f-529a-b5db-d1cd5f99f8f4.html

New Jersey 02/02/12 Middletown, Monmouth County: Two raccoons that were in fights with neighborhood dogs have tested positive for rabies. See http://www.app.com/article/20120202/NJNEWS/302010113/Middletown-racoons-test-positive-rabies?odyssey=nav|head

Oklahoma 02/02/12 Purcell, McClain County: A second confirmed rabid skunk has been killed in this area. Licensed Oklahoma Veterinarian Dr. Larry Prime shot the skunk in his carport last week. Prime lives four miles south and 2 1/2 miles west of Purcell. That makes two skunks that have tested positive for rabies in the Purcell area in recent weeks. The other rabid skunk was killed behind the Purcell Animal Shelter earlier this month. See http://www.purcellregister.com/articles/2012/02/02/news/doc4f295dc45b816723646932.txt

Virginia 02/02/12 Williamsburg: Health officials are asking for the public’s help locating a cat that bit a person in Ford’s Colony on Tuesday. The cat is large, black and white with a white stripe down its nose, according to a news release from the Peninsula Health District. The cat looks healthy. If it isn’t found, the person who was bitten will have to undergo shots to prevent rabies. If the cat can be found, it will be confined to its owner’s home for 10 days. Anyone who may have seen the cat is being asked to call 757-253-4813. After hours, call 757-253-1800.

MASSACHUSETTS WOMAN and her DOG attacked by a RABID FOX ~ Scientist fears CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE could pass from DEER and ELK to some HUMANS ~ COYOTE report from MINNESOTA ~ RABIES reports from GEORGIA (2), KANSAS, NEW YORK, & NORTH CAROLINA (2) ~ FOLLOW-UP REPORTS: MASSACHUSETTS MAN bitten by BROWN BAT dies of RABIES.

Red fox. Courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Massachusetts 01/26/12 milforddailynews.com: by Alison McCall – A Village Lane woman is receiving rabies shots after a rabid fox attacked her Tuesday, biting her twice and causing her to fall and break her elbow. “It kept coming after me,” Carol Welch said. Welch said she was walking her dog in her yard sometime before 6 a.m. Tuesday when she saw something emerge from the dark. Less than an hour earlier, a Beaver Pond Road resident reported a fox behaving strangely in his garage. The fox ran after Welch and her small dog. Welch fell when trying to escape. “I thought I was doomed,” Welch said. “I fell to the ground, and my dog ran up onto the porch, and that fox ran up” after the dog. Welch threw her shoe at the fox, which then bit her before she could get inside again. The fox was reported to the police at least three times and ran off twice before police put it down around 9 a.m. on Beaver Pond Road. The Animal Control Department then sent the body of the animal to a state laboratory for rabies testing. Yesterday afternoon, the fox was confirmed to have been carrying the rabies virus. – For complete article see http://www.milforddailynews.com/topstories/x1192850106/State-confirms-Bellingham-fox-carried-rabies

National 01/26/12 myhealthnewsdaily.com: by Linda Thrasybule — Excerpts — “Unlike diseases caused by viruses or bacteria, prion diseases are caused by infectious protein molecules that pass from animals to humans. Although differences between species makes it difficult for prion diseases to spread from one species to another, transmission does occur. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, as mad cow disease is properly called, can be transmitted to humans by eating meat infected with the disease. This study might help researchers better determine the risk of exposure to animal prions and silent carriers, said study co-author Vincent Beringue, a scientist at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research. The findings were published today (Jan. 26) in the journal Science.”

‘The study has significant implications for public and animal health, according to Christina Sigurdson, who researches prion diseases at the University of California at San Diego, and was not involved with the study. For example, Sigurdsonsaid, chronic wasting disease is a prion disease found in deer and elk, and is currently spreading in these animals throughout the United States, according to the CDC. ‘Although there is evidence of a species barrier for human infection with this disease, we don’t know if there is a population of people that may be currently infected with deer or elk prions,’ she said. ‘This is a major concern, because the infection could remain undetected for long periods of time,’ she added.” – For complete article see http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/2164-prions-brain-disease-spread-lymph.html

Minnesota 01/27/12 Eden Prairie, Hennepin County: A small dog is fighting for his life after being attacked by a coyote. See http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/coyotes-attack-eden-prairie-dog-jan-26-2012

Georgia 01/26/12 Gillsville, Hall County: A bobcat that was shot after threatening two dogs has tested positive for rabies. See http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=245272

Georgia 01/25/12 Maysville, Jackson County: Health officials have confirmed that a cow has tested positive for rabies. See http://www.jacksonheraldtoday.com/archives/6481-Rabid-cow-reported.html

Kansas 01/26/12 Kiowa County: A coyote that attacked a dog and then tried to get into a nearby house has tested positive for rabies. See http://www.kiowacountysignal.com/news/x767707091/Health-Department-reports-rabies-found-in-local-coyote

New York 01/25/12 Clay, Onondaga County: An adult feral black cat that had been living in the area along Jackson Road has tested positive for rabies. See http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/cat_tests_positive_for_rabies.html

North Carolina 01/25/12 Beaufort County: Animal control officers are asking residents of Pine town and Bath to be sure pets have been vaccinated after three pets are attacked by raccoons with rabies in three separate incidents. See http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Rabies_Cases_In_Beaufort_County_138092658.html

North Carolina 01/26/12 Swansboro, Onslow County: A domestic cat is the county’s first rabies case this year. See http://www2.wnct.com/news/2012/jan/26/rabies-reported-onslow-county-cat-ar-1860903/

Follow-Up Reports:

(January 2, 2012: MASSACHUSETTS man diagnosed with HUMAN RABIES; January 4, 2012: FOLLOW-UP REPORTS: MASSACHUSETTS confirms Cape Cod man with RABIES was bitten by BROWN BAT.)

Massachusetts 01/27/12 myfoxboston.com: A 63-year-old Marstons Mills man who contracted rabies in December died this week. Kevin Galvin’s death is the first fatal rabies case contracted in Massachusetts since 1935. According to the Cape Cod Times, Galvin died at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctors had placed him in a coma-like state to allow his body to fight the virus. Officials believe he was bitten by a rabid brown bat in his Cape Cod neighborhood.

FLORIDA veterinarians fear a pack of BOBCATS is mauling local PETS ~ MISSOURI confirms first positive tests for CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE in free ranging DEER ~ OHIO town hires professional to trap COYOTES ~ National Forest officials in WYOMING issue alert following MOUNTAIN LION sighting ~ RABIES report from NORTH CAROLINA ~ FOLLOW-UP REPORTS: SCHMALLENBERG VIRUS spreads from northern EUROPEAN CONTINENT to the UK.

Bobcat. Courtesy National Park Service.

Florida 01/23/12 CBS12.com: Nearly a dozen pets have been mauled in recent months and local veterinarians believe a pack of bobcats is to blame. The bobcats have been spotted daily in Martin County on the peninsula of Rocky Point. Port Salerno Animal Hospital Veterinarian Jason White knows all too well about the bobcats wreaking havoc in Rocky Point.  ”There have been some cats attacked and some cats actually killed by bobcats. My recommendation is for people that live in that area to keep your cats inside, and if they are outside, they need to be monitored,” said White. Jill Welter tried to protect her pet chickens. “Well the cat was able to jump the four-foot fence, so we ended up putting up the seven-foot fence to keep the cat from attacking any more chickens. We lost three chickens total,” said Welter. Three chickens, five cats, and two dogs have been attacked in recent months. “They see another cat in their area and they attack. The cats are no match for a bobcat–a bobcat is a big cat,” said White.

Bobcats, like the ones attacking in Rocky Point, are territorial. They don’t kill pets for food, instead, they are marking their territory. The reason they’ve been more aggressive is because the Rocky Point bobcats have kittens. “Apparently there’s a mom a dad, and babies, two babies,” said Welter. Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say the bobcats are protected under state law and cannot be killed or even harmed unless a human is attacked. For now, neighbors are building fences and keeping their pets indoors.

Deer with CWD

Missouri 01/24/12 lincolncountyjournal.com: by Bob Simmons – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) received two positive test results for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) from 1,077 tissue samples taken from free-ranging deer harvested by hunters in north-central Missouri during the 2011 fall firearms deer season. Both positive test results were from adult bucks harvested by Missouri hunters in Macon County, and are the first CWD-positive results for free-ranging deer in Missouri. MDC plans to obtain more tissue samples for CWD testing by harvesting additional deer in the immediate area where the two infected deer were harvested. “Teamwork among landowners, hunters and MDC staff allowed us to detect this infection early,” said MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners. “We will be working with local landowners to harvest additional deer for tissue sampling. This is a first step and one of our best hopes for containing, and perhaps even eliminating, what we believe to be a recent localized event.” MDC staff have contacted the two Missouri hunters who harvested the CWD-positive bucks to inform them of the situation and answer questions. – For complete article see http://www.lincolncountyjournal.com/?p=2203

Ohio 01/24/12 Niles, Trumbull County: The city is hiring a company to capture at least two wild coyotes that were seen recently near George Street, Washington and Kennedy Park areas. Councilman Dave Wilkerson said a resident photographed two coyotes in the area this weekend. The coyotes seen this weekend were within two blocks of a home in which a woman’s small dog was dragged out of the yard and killed Jan. 3 by what may have been a coyote. “We (the city) hired a trapper for health and safety of the people living in the neighborhood,” Wilkerson said. “We want people to know a trapper will be in the area, so people will allow him to do his job.” Brian Adkins, owner of Brian’s Wildlife Nuisance, 1433 state Route 7, Brookfield, said he saw a lot of signs of coyotes in Niles when he was inspecting the area Monday. “They are elusive animals,” Adkins said. “They don’t like being around people.” Adkins is concerned about the sightings because there has been raccoon rabies identified in Trumbull County, and that can be spread to coyotes. – See http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/567013/Coyote-hunt-is-on-in-Niles.html?nav=5021

Wyoming 01/23/12 Jackson Hole, Teton County: A mountain lion with two approximately 7-month-old kittens were spotted Saturday near the Cache Creek trailhead, prompting Bridger-Teton National Forest officials to alert residents and trail users. Trails in the area remain open, forest officials said in a press release, and forest biologists and winter patrollers, along with Wyoming Game and Fish personnel, are using dogs to try to haze the cat family farther up the canyon. – See  http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=8162

North Carolina 01/24/12 Morehead City, Carteret County: A raccoon that killed a chicken and bit two dogs has tested positive for rabies. See http://www.jdnews.com/news/raccoon-99841-carteret-county.html

Follow-up reports:

(January 16, 2012: EUROPEAN scientists alarmed by NEW VIRUS detected in LIVESTOCK.)

Europe 01/23/12 Guardian.co.uk: A virus which causes miscarriages and birth deformities in farm animals, though it is not known to affect humans, has been confirmed at four sheep farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex. The Schmallenberg virus is believed to be carried by midges. It surfaced in the Netherlands and Germany in August 2011, and since then on hundreds of farms there and in Belgium. The microbe is difficult to detect in adult animals, and is apparent only when they gestate. There is no known treatment or vaccine. The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge has done laboratory tests confirming Schmallenberg virus is in the UK. It said in a statement: “Although there are still some uncertainties, the risk to human health from is likely to be very low.” – For complete article see http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jan/23/schmallenberg-virus-confirmed-uk-farms?newsfeed=true