rabies prevalence
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I don't know about the "official" source for the US, but I can tell you that there have been 4 confirmed cases of Rabies in the last 3 weeks within a 15 mile radius of my home and the farm where I keep my horses.
Last week, just as I pulled up to the farm, I noticed my two geldings and their pasture mate, another gelding, running around each other in a tight circle. I thought they were playing.....NOT!!! They were trampling a raccoon. I went running into the field just as the final kick was given and the raccoon collapsed....dead.
The horses kept sniffing the raccoon until I was able to get them away from it. My friend came out about that time and she got a couple of trash bags to put the raccoon in to get it out of the field. I had noticed some blood on the ground but didn't think anything of it at the time.
We took all 3 horses out of the pasture and went over each of them closely, looking for bite marks. One of my boys had a bite on his fetlock. So, we put 2 horses back out into the field and I kept the one out to clean the bite.
I noticed that the 2 horses back in the field had gone back to the spot where the raccoon had died. Remembering the blood, I went back out into the field in time to see both horses eating the blood and some of the dirt!
The State Lab tested the raccoon and, luckily, this one was negative. When they called me with the results, they told me about the 4 cases (2 raccoons & 2 unvaccinated pet dogs). I had my horses' and my dogs' Rabies vaccine boostered. My friend and I also had titers pulled to check our levels since we have both had pre-exposure Rabies vaccines. I would rather be safe than sorry!
Vicky
Vicky
Last week, just as I pulled up to the farm, I noticed my two geldings and their pasture mate, another gelding, running around each other in a tight circle. I thought they were playing.....NOT!!! They were trampling a raccoon. I went running into the field just as the final kick was given and the raccoon collapsed....dead.
The horses kept sniffing the raccoon until I was able to get them away from it. My friend came out about that time and she got a couple of trash bags to put the raccoon in to get it out of the field. I had noticed some blood on the ground but didn't think anything of it at the time.
We took all 3 horses out of the pasture and went over each of them closely, looking for bite marks. One of my boys had a bite on his fetlock. So, we put 2 horses back out into the field and I kept the one out to clean the bite.
I noticed that the 2 horses back in the field had gone back to the spot where the raccoon had died. Remembering the blood, I went back out into the field in time to see both horses eating the blood and some of the dirt!
The State Lab tested the raccoon and, luckily, this one was negative. When they called me with the results, they told me about the 4 cases (2 raccoons & 2 unvaccinated pet dogs). I had my horses' and my dogs' Rabies vaccine boostered. My friend and I also had titers pulled to check our levels since we have both had pre-exposure Rabies vaccines. I would rather be safe than sorry!
Vicky
Vicky
Kyle B said:
Thanks! Just found the website:
http://www.cdc.gov/index.htm
not finding any statistics/numbers yet though, will perhaps email them and ask.
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I can confirm that the Official source for Rabies incidence records in the US is the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. Just Google them and you'll find several internal sites for rabies information.
Incidentally Vicky, Rabies has been documented as being transmissable orally although that is rare. Bite transmission is by far the most common.
In the east, beware Raccoons and Skunks, in the south Skunks and gray foxes, in Texas country, Coyotes, In the Great Plains, skunks, in Eastern Canada, red foxes and skunks (although now mostly contolled by oral vaccination.) The greatest threat to humans is via bat rabies and bat rabies spread to cats. Fortunately very few humans die of rabies in North America due to fox, skunk strains.
PS I do my horses and dogs annually although several modern vaccines are good for 3 years in dogs!!! I spent 20 years researching rabies biology. You may get bit and survive BUT once actually infected it's pretty well game over!
Incidentally Vicky, Rabies has been documented as being transmissable orally although that is rare. Bite transmission is by far the most common.
In the east, beware Raccoons and Skunks, in the south Skunks and gray foxes, in Texas country, Coyotes, In the Great Plains, skunks, in Eastern Canada, red foxes and skunks (although now mostly contolled by oral vaccination.) The greatest threat to humans is via bat rabies and bat rabies spread to cats. Fortunately very few humans die of rabies in North America due to fox, skunk strains.
PS I do my horses and dogs annually although several modern vaccines are good for 3 years in dogs!!! I spent 20 years researching rabies biology. You may get bit and survive BUT once actually infected it's pretty well game over!
Found the latest report, a total of 6417 rabiescases in 2005, 8 % of these were domestic animals, that is 513.
Now next question, how many dogs and cats live in the US?
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabi...ns/Surveillance/Surveillance05/Rabies2005.pdf
Now next question, how many dogs and cats live in the US?
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabi...ns/Surveillance/Surveillance05/Rabies2005.pdf
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interesting.. i am always concerned as the entire neighborhood has cats and dogs that free - roam, and i know they are not vaccinated for rabies. I also know we have many coyotes, and raccoons. My hubby traps, and is always getting coyotes,foxes, and raccoons. I just don't understand why ..the risk is high for the free roaming animals, i have to tell mykids not to pick up any cats that roam. My neighbor's cat just died from a wound, which they think was from a opposum.. I know she was vaccinated. I wonder if it was infected?? I hope not. maria
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http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/sourcebook.asp
60 Million Dogs and 70 Million Cats. These numbers do not account for the feral population.
60 Million Dogs and 70 Million Cats. These numbers do not account for the feral population.
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The feral population in my area is huge.. What do you think of the policy of trap/neuter/return?? Is it worth it? I know that some believe in this , and others are so opposed?? maria
We captured 3 skunks in 2 nights on my neighbor's yard last summer - "we" being the block, who kicked in to call the "Critter Ridder" guy. Yesterday we were strolling along and saw a raccoon in the midle of a fairway - he was sick and/or dying. With any luck he was hit by a car since he wasn't that far off the road
Here in the land o' "Progress," the critters are being chased out by people wanting overpriced excissively-large homes on teeny lots. They have nowhere to go. It's kind of sad. Rabies cases are way up in this area.
Here in the land o' "Progress," the critters are being chased out by people wanting overpriced excissively-large homes on teeny lots. They have nowhere to go. It's kind of sad. Rabies cases are way up in this area.
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What really bugs me is the way PA law handles things. they want to make all these new laws. But the ones for basic rabies vaccines goes unenforced. It is scary. Maria
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