Photo by Svdmolen. Wikimedia Commons.
Minnesota 10/25/12 Mower County: A raccoon that attacked and bit a 3-year-old girl near Austin will be tested for rabies. The girl’s father killed the raccoon after her mother saw it biting her daughter’s arm and kicked it away. – See http://www.startribune.com/local/175810081.html
Florida 10/25/12 Brevard County: A Malabar woman was hospitalized on Wednesday after being attacked by a coyote in the 500 block of Hall Road. The woman’s daughter-in-law shot the animal. – See http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Malabar-woman-hospitalized-after-coyote-attack/-/1637132/17135712/-/b0aa1z/-/index.html
Mountain Lion Sightings:
California 10/24/12 Contra Costa County: A woman walking with her child in a stroller on a trail in the vicinity of Lake Drive in Kensington on Friday spotted a mountain lion about 2,000 feet north of the Berkeley border and 
about the same distance east of the Little Farm in Tilden Park. – See http://berkeley.patch.com/articles/mountain-lion-encounter-reported-by-mother-with-child-in-stroller
California 10/24/12 Los Angeles County: Hikers in Malibu’s Point Mugu State Park found a dead mountain lion a short distance from one of the trails. State wildlife officials are investigating. – See http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/10/mountain-lion-found-dead-in-point-mugu-state-park.html
West Nile Virus (WNV):
National 10/23/12 cdc.gov: Update – 48 states have reported WNV infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 4,725 cases of WNV disease in people, including 219 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 2,413 (51%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 2,312 (49%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease. The 4,725 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of WNV disease cases reported to CDC through the fourth week in October since 2003. Almost 70 percent of the cases have been reported from eight states (Texas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, South Dakota, Michigan, and Oklahoma) and over a third of all cases have been reported from Texas. – For further details see http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
California 10/23/12 San Bernardino County: A man in his 70s from Rancho Cucamonga is the first WNV–related fatality in the county this year. – See http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_21838181/rancho-cucamonga-resident-dies-from-west-nile-virus
California 10/24/12 San Mateo County: Health officials today confirmed a squirrel in San Mateo tested positive for WNV. The squirrel tested positive for WNV chronic, which officials say indicates a low infection level, meaning the infection was not acquired this year and is a lesser concern to public health officials. – See http://sanmateo.patch.com/articles/san-mateo-squirrel-tests-positive-wnv
Florida 10/23/12 Duval County: A 39-year-old woman is the 26th human case of WNV in the county this year. – http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-10-23/story/jacksonville-journal-26th-west-nile-case-reported-duval
Mississippi 10/24/12 bolivacom.com: The state’s health department has confirmed 8 new human cases of WNV in the past week occurring in seven counties, including 1 case in Sunflower County. Two positive cases had earlier been reported in Bolivar County. There have been 233 human cases statewide this year, including 5 deaths. – See http://www.bolivarcom.com/view/full_story/20587777/article-WNV-hits-new-county?instance=latest_articles
Texas 10/24/12 Jim Wells County: A 14-month-old baby in the city of Alice is the first confirmed human case of WNV in the county. – See http://www.kristv.com/news/baby-diagnosed-with-west-nile-virus/
Rabies:
Arkansas 10/25/12 Fulton County: A dead skunk found in a resident’s backyard near a fenced area where unvaccinated dogs are kept has tested positive for rabies. So far this year officials have confirmed 115 cases of rabies statewide including 90 skunks. – See http://www.areawidenews.com/story/1906835.html
Florida 10/25/12 Brevard County: Officials say a bat found in Melbourne on Tuesday has tested positive for rabies. – See http://www.sfgate.com
/news/science/article/Bat-in-Melbourne-tested-positive-for-rabies-3981526.php
Illinois 10/25/12 Will County: A bat trapped beneath a light pole outside a residence in Elwood is the 12th positive rabies case in the county this year, which marks a new record. Previously, the 11 cases confirmed in 2007 held the record. – See http://bolingbrook.patch.com/articles/will-county-sets-record-for-rabid-bats-in-one-year-c30373c1
Maine 10/26/12 Cumberland County: A Falmouth woman is trying to identify a dog so she can spare her 5-year-old daughter a series of rabies shots. Gia Davis said her daughter was walking with a care-giver on one of Portland’s trails near the Ocean Avenue dog park about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday when a dog attacked her. The care-giver and witnesses told Davis that the girl, who was already afraid of dogs, curled up in a fetal position and the dog bit her in the back of the neck and broke the skin, Davis said. The dog retreated after a woman called for it. “We were probably pretty lucky,” Davis said. “This dog had her by the back of the neck.”
Now, Davis wants to make sure the dog has had a rabies shot, so that her daughter doesn’t have to get a series of five shots, including two at the site of the puncture. “I have to vaccinate her. It’s most likely not needed, but I don’t know 100 percent and I have to make a pretty quick call,” Davis said. She must hear by Friday night or she will have to start the treatment, she said. The care-giver, who is a nurse, tried to get the name of the dog’s owner, Davis said. The woman said her name was Regina and she was from Vermont. She gave her a phone number with a Vermont area code. When they tried to call the number later, it was disconnected. Davis said the number may have been copied wrong, but either way, she wants to know whether the dog is up to date on its vaccinations. Dogs must be licensed in Maine and must have up-to-date rabies vaccinations to be licensed. Davis said she has few clues about the dog’s identity. It appeared to be a mixed breed related to a pit bull though somewhat bigger, like a Labrador retriever, she said.
The woman was with a man, and they appeared to be in their 30s. He had a short, scruffy beard and she had shoulder- length, straight dark hair and was wearing a green L.L. Bean-style vest, the care-giver told Davis. They appeared to be with another couple, who had two yellow Labrador retrievers, Davis said. Anyone with information is asked to call Lt. John Kilbride at the Falmouth Police Department.
CDC Reports:
CDC MMWR Summary for Week ending October 20, 2012:
Published October 26, 2012/ 61(42); ND-579-ND-592
Anaplasmosis . . . 7 . . . Missouri, New York (6),
Babesiosis . . . 8 . . . New York (8),
Brucellosis . . . 2 . . . Florida, Tennessee,
Ehrlichiosis . . . 12 . . . Florida, Missouri, New York, North Carolina (8), Virginia,
Giardiasis . . . 171 . . . Alabama (3), Arizona (2), Arkansas (3), California (20), Florida (35), Idaho (2), Iowa (4), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts (3), Michigan (3), Nevada, New York (34), Ohio (23), Oregon (6), Pennsylvania (11), Vermont (2), Washington (15), Wisconsin (2),
HME/HGE Undetermined . . . 2 . . . Maryland, New York,
Hansen Disease (Leprosy) . . . 1 . . . Kansas,
Lyme Disease . . . 119. . . Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (5), Maine (2), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (2), New York (54), North Carolina (5), Pennsylvania (29), Virginia (12),
Rabies (Animal) . . . 42. . . Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York (12), Rhode Island (2), Texas (8), Vermont (5), Virginia (12), West Virginia,
Spotted Fever including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Confirmed) . . . 1. . . Indiana,
Spotted Fever including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Probable) . . . 10 . . . Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina (4), Pennsylvania, Tennessee (3),
Tularemia . . . 8 . . . Oklahoma (8).
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