State Health Officials Looking for Individuals Who May Have Been Exposed to a Rabid Puppy Sold at the Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur, OK

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1 For Release: June 19, 2013 Leslea Bennett-Webb, Office of Communications 405/ State Health Officials Looking for Individuals Who May Have Been Exposed to a Rabid Puppy Sold at the Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur, OK The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is looking for the seller of, as well as persons who purchased or had direct contact with, Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppies that were sold at the Bivens Dog Trade located in Sulphur, OK, on Sunday, June 9. The Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppies are described as approximately 10 weeks old with black, brown and white markings (see photo all puppies in the litter had similar appearance). There were five to six puppies for sale for $100 each by an individual described as an adult male, Caucasian, approximately 6 feet tall, early 50s, medium build, wearing a tan uniform-style shirt, with red hair and a mustache, and living in the southern Oklahoma region. The seller was accompanied by a young adult male with slender build and dark brown hair. The Bivens Dog Trade is located north of Hwy 7 on Hwy 177 in Sulphur. While at Bivens on June 9, the seller was located south of the entrance with other individuals selling dogs. On Wednesday, June 12, one of the purchased puppies developed symptoms consistent with rabies and subsequently died. Rabies testing at the OSDH Public Health Laboratory confirmed the presence of rabies. Public health officials are asking the seller of the mixed-breed Coonhound puppies, persons who purchased a puppy from the seller, or anyone who may have come in direct contact with the puppies in the litter to contact the OSDH Epidemiologist-on-Call at (405) or (800) Health officials want to assess persons exposure to the rabid puppy and to locate the other puppies from the same litter quickly as they may have been exposed to the rabies virus. Health officials must conduct personal interviews to determine if individuals who had physical contact with the rabid puppy need to receive immunizations to prevent rabies. Persons who were bitten by the rabid puppy or had the puppy s saliva get into a cut or fresh wound on the skin or mucous membranes (eyes, lining of the nose, or mouth) may have been exposed to rabies virus. Rabies is a viral disease that can be transmitted to animals and humans mainly by a bite, but exposure may also occur through inoculation of saliva or nervous tissue into an opening in the skin or mucous membrane. Some animals are more likely to be infected with rabies than others. Skunks, bats, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes, have strains of rabies virus adapted to their species. The rabies viruses in Oklahoma include those adapted to skunks and bats. All warmblooded mammals including dogs, cats, horses, and cattle can become infected with rabies virus. Thus far in Oklahoma in 2013, there have been a total of 43 cases of animal rabies, including six dogs. ###

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3 Oklahoma Health Department Urges Rabies Precautions BY AP Credit Princeton University Feline vaccine Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Health officials in Oklahoma are urging residents to take precautions to protect themselves and their pets from rabies by having their pets vaccinated. Oklahoma rules and regulations require that a veterinarian vaccinate dogs, cats and ferrets against rabies by the time the animal is 4 months old. Rabies vaccines are also available and are recommended for horses, sheep and cattle. The state Health Department reports 41 cases of rabies in Oklahoma thus far in The cases include 25 skunks, nine cows, five dogs, one horse and one fox.

4 12:06 am - June 16, 2013 Updated: 12:07 am - June 16, 2013 State health department urges rabies precautions OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Health officials in Oklahoma are urging residents to take precautions to protect themselves and their pets from rabies by having their pets vaccinated. Oklahoma rules and regulations require that a veterinarian vaccinate dogs, cats and ferrets against rabies by the time the animal is 4 months old. Rabies vaccines are also available and are recommended for horses, sheep and cattle. The state Health Department reports 41 cases of rabies in Oklahoma thus far in The cases include 25 skunks, nine cows, five dogs, one horse and one fox. Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

5 Health Officials Search For Man Who Sold Rabid Puppy In Sulphur Posted: Jun 19, :27 PM CDT Updated: Jun 19, :55 PM CDT By LaShauna Sewell, News9.com Oklahoma health officials are searching for the man who sold a rabid puppy in Sulphur, Oklahoma. The puppy was one of a litter of five or six. SULPHUR, Oklahoma - The Oklahoma Department of Health (OSDH) is searching for people who may have been exposed to a rabid puppy recently sold by Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur, Oklahoma. The 10-week-old Bluetick/Walker Coonhound was sold Sunday, June 9 on Highway 177 north of Highway 7. The pup was one of five or six puppies for sale that day for $100 each. Just a few days later, the puppy became sick and died. The OSDH Public Health Laboratory confirmed the dog had rabies. Health officials released a picture of the puppy. All the pups in the litter looked similar and had black, brown and white markings. The person who sold the puppy is a white male in his early 50s, approximately 6 feet tall with a medium build, red hair and a mustache. He was wearing a tan uniform-style shirt when he sold the dog. It's believed he lives somewhere in southern Oklahoma. The man was also accompanied by a young adult male with a slender build and dark brown hair. Public health officials want the seller of the mixed-breed Coonhound puppies, and anyone who came in contact with the litter, to immediately call the OSDH epidemiologist at (405) or (800) Health officials hope to quickly locate the litter and determine who may have been exposed to rabies. Anyone who had physical contact with the puppies needs to receive immunization shots. Rabies is a viral disease that can be transmitted to animals and humans mainly by a bite, but exposure may also occur through inoculation of saliva or nervous tissue into an opening in the skin or mucous membrane.

6 Health officials searching for those exposed to rabid dog at pet sale Posted on: 3:41 pm, June 19, 2013, by KFOR-TV and A. Edwards, updated on: 10:05pm, June 19, 2013 Sulphur rabid bluetick hound Authorities said he lives in the southern part of the state. SULPHUR, Okla. State Health officials are looking anyone who may have been exposed to a rabid puppy sold at the Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State Department of Health is trying to find the seller and anyone else who purchased or had direct contact with Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppies that were sold at the Bivens Dog Trade located in Sulphur Sunday, June 9. The Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppies are about 10 weeks old with black, brown and white markings. Authorities said a man was selling the puppies for $100 each. Officials said they believe he is in his early fifties and about 6 feet tall with a medium build. They said he has red hair and a mustache and was wearing a tan uniform-style shirt. A young man with a slender build and dark brown hair was with the seller. The Bivens Dog Trade is north of Hwy 7 on Hwy 177 in Sulphur. The seller was south of the entrance with other individuals selling dogs. Wednesday, June 12, one of the purchased puppies developed symptoms consistent with rabies and subsequently died. Rabies testing at the OSDH Public Health Laboratory confirmed the presence of rabies. Public health officials are asking the seller of the mixed-breed Coonhound puppies, those who purchased a puppy from the seller or anyone who may have come in direct contact with the puppies in the litter to contact the OSDH Epidemiologist-on-Call at (405) or (800) Anyone who was bitten by the rabid puppy or had the puppy s saliva get into a cut or fresh wound on the skin, eyes, nose or mouth may have been exposed to rabies virus.

7 Okla. Health Dept. Investigating Rabies Exposure Posted: Jun 19, :01 PM CDT Updated: Jun 24, :45 AM CDT OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Department of Health is investigating whether anyone who handled a rabid puppy that later died was exposed to the disease. The health agency said Wednesday the Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppy was part of a litter of 5 or six 10-week-old puppies that were sold on June 9 at the Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur. The puppies have black, brown and white markings. Officials say 1 of the puppies developed symptoms of rabies on June 12 and subsequently died. Laboratory testing by the agency confirmed the presence of rabies. The agency is looking for the seller of the puppies. Anyone who bought one or may have come in contact with the puppies should contact the Health Department to determine if they were exposed to the rabies virus. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

8 Okla. health dept. investigating rabies exposure Posted: Jun 19, :39 PM CDT Updated: Jun 19, :39 PM CDT OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Department of Health is investigating whether anyone who handled a rabid puppy that later died was exposed to the disease. The health agency said Wednesday the Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppy was part of a litter of 5 or six 10-week-old puppies that were sold on June 9 at the Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur. The puppies have black, brown and white markings. Officials say 1 of the puppies developed symptoms of rabies on June 12 and subsequently died. Laboratory testing by the agency confirmed the presence of rabies. The agency is looking for the seller of the puppies. Anyone who bought one or may have come in contact with the puppies should contact the Health Department to determine if they were exposed to the rabies virus. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

9 Oklahoma health department investigating rabies exposure By Associated Press on Jun 19, 2013, at 3:08 PM OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Department of Health is investigating whether anyone who handled a rabid puppy that later died was exposed to the disease. The health agency said Wednesday the Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppy was part of a litter of five or six 10-week-old puppies that were sold on June 9 at the Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur. The puppies have black, brown and white markings. Officials say one of the puppies developed symptoms of rabies on June 12 and subsequently died. Laboratory testing by the agency confirmed the presence of rabies. The agency is looking for the seller of the puppies. Anyone who bought one or may have come in contact with the puppies should contact the Health Department to determine if they were exposed to the rabies virus. Copyright 2013 Tulsa World. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

10 Oklahoma officials search for man who sold rabid puppy June 19, 2013 By Penny Ems A puppy, purchased in Sulphur, Okla., has recently died from rabies, and now, health officials are searching for the puppy's littermates, as well as anyone who may have been in contact with them, reported Wednesday's News9. The puppies, described as ten-week-old Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mixes, were sold on Sunday, June 9, at Bivens Dog Trade. One of the puppies developed symptoms consistent with rabies on June 12; the puppy died not long after. Officials with the Oklahoma State Department of Health are reaching out to the public with the hopes that the man who was selling these puppies, along with those people who purchased them, will be located before the disease spreads. The seller of the puppies is described as an adult male, white, approximately 6 feet tall, in his early 50s, medium build, with red hair and a mustache. The man was wearing a tan, uniform-style shirt and was accompanied by a young, adult male with a "slender" build and dark hair. Anyone with information on this man, or who may have been in contact with any of these puppies, is asked to contact the OSDH Epidemiologist-on-Call at (405) or (800) Rabies, a viral disease, is almost always fatal to humans if treatment is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms. Early symptoms are described as "flu-like," and include malaise, headache and fever.

11 Rabid coonhound mix puppy sold in Oklahoma Posted: Wednesday, June 19, :06 pm Updated: 5:09 pm, Wed Jun 19, LITTLE ROCK Arkansas residents are warned that at least one puppy in a litter of coonhound puppies sold in Sulphur, Okla., on Sunday, June 9, was rabid. The Arkansas Department of Health said it is cooperating with the Oklahoma State Department of Health is seeking the seller of, as well as persons who purchased or had direct contact with bluetick/walker coonhound mix puppies sold at the Bivens Dog Trade. The puppies are described as approximately 10 weeks old with black, brown and white markings. There were five to six puppies for sale for $100 each by an individual described as an adult male, Caucasian, approximately 6 feet tall, early 50s, medium build, wearing a tan uniform-style shirt, with red hair and a mustache, and living in the southern Oklahoma region. The seller was accompanied by a young adult male with slender build and dark brown hair. While at Bivens, the seller was located south of the entrance with other individuals selling dogs. Wednesday, June 12, one of the purchased puppies developed symptoms consistent with rabies and subsequently died. Rabies testing confirmed the presence of rabies. Anyone who may have come in direct contact with the puppies in the litter to contact the OSDH Epidemiologist-on-Call at (405) or (800) Health officials want to assess persons exposure to the rabid puppy and to locate the other puppies from the same litter quickly as they may have been exposed to the rabies virus.

12 June 20, 2013 Okla. health department investigating rabies exposure By Ivan Moreno Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma Department of Health is investigating whether anyone who handled a rabid puppy that later died was exposed to the disease. The health agency said Wednesday the Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppy was part of a litter of five or six 10-week-old puppies that were sold on June 9 at the Bivens Dog Trade in Sulphur. The puppies have black, brown and white markings. Officials say one of the puppies developed symptoms of rabies on June 12 and subsequently died. Laboratory testing by the agency confirmed the presence of rabies. The agency is looking for the seller of the puppies. Anyone who bought one or may have come in contact with the puppies should contact the Health Department to determine if they were exposed to the rabies virus.

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14 Ada Family Buys Rabid Puppy, Fears Others Were Exposed Posted: Jun 24, :09 PM CDT Updated: Jun 24, :09 PM CDT By Abby Broyles, News 9 ADA, Oklahoma - An Ada family is dealing with a health scare as their new puppy tests positive for rabies. The little dog has died and the family is dealing with the consequences. Mom, dad and their kids are now undergoing painful medical treatment. It all started when this family of four went to a trade show in Sulphur a couple weeks ago. They brought home a little long-haired hound dog they planned to someday take hunting. But just days later, she started getting sick. And now they're worried others may have taken home rabid puppies too. "We have a little John Deere gator that the boys ride around, and Lily enjoyed riding in the gator. She enjoyed going fishing with the kids. She was just a typical puppy," Bo Ellis said. Once they saw her, they couldn't say no. Lily, this 10-week-old puppy, went home with the Ellis family and soon after, she started acting like she didn't feel well. "She acted like she had something stuck in her mouth, so we felt around and check her mouth and everything," Ellis says. "By Saturday afternoon late, she was starting to develop some neurological symptoms. She was shaking. Her head was shaking." Lilly stopped eating, and Ellis called the vet. "She did start barking at other dogs but never was aggressive toward people and didn't exhibit the classic rabid, mad dog foaming at the mouth," Ellis said. The health department confirmed Lilly had tested positive for rabies. The Ellis family immediately got rabies shots. And sadly, they had to euthanize Lilly and their two other dogs. "It's been traumatic," Ellis says. "Having kids, I didn't want to risk something else happening down the road." There were about six other puppies that Lily's original owner sold in Sulphur, and they all went home with different families. Anyone who may have come in contact with the puppies should call the health department. Health officials are still looking for the man who sold the litter. You can reach the Oklahoma State Department of Health at (405)

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16 June 28, 2013 Puppies test negative for rabies disease Eric Swanson Staff Writer Ada Six out of seven puppies sold recently in Sulphur have tested negative for rabies. The Oklahoma State Department of Health has finished its investigation into the June 9 sale of seven Bluetick/Walker Coonhound mix puppies at the Bivens Dog Trade flea market, spokeswoman Pamela Williams said Thursday. The puppies were approximately 10 weeks old with black, brown and white markings. A man in his early 50s was selling them for $100 each. One of the puppies developed rabies-like symptoms on June 12 and later died. A lab test confirmed the presence of rabies. State health officials tested the other six puppies for the disease, but all six tested negative. None of the buyers was exposed to the disease. The state health department has located the man who sold the puppies and the four people who bought them, but officials are not releasing the seller s name, Williams said. Read more in The Ada News. Call to subscribe today!

17 OSDH completes rabies investigation By: Ashley Park Posted: Sat 12:32 AM, Jun 29, 2013 SULPHUR, OK -- SULPHUR, OK -- The Oklahoma State Department of Health completed its investigation into the sale of seven Bluetick/Coonhound mix puppies after one tested positive developed rabies. A spokesperson says the other six puppies that were sold at the Bivens Dog Trade Flea Market in Sulphur all tested negative for rabies. Spokesperson, Pamela Williams, says all the dog owners were contacted but none had been exposed to the disease. She says there have been 41 cases of animal rabies in Oklahoma this year, five of those in dogs. Williams says the state health department recommends all pet owners keep up with pet vaccinations.

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