Texas Department of State Health Services Davi L. Lakey, M.D. Commissioner http://www.shs.state.tx.us/region7/efault.shtm Sharon K. Melville, M.D., M.P.H. Regional Meical Director 2408 S. 37 th Street Temple, Texas 76504 (254) 778-6744 Animal Rabies Cases in Central Texas, 2013 (Provisional ata as of January 22, 2014) Health Service Region 7 (HSR7) Zoonosis Control investigate 594 positive an non-negative animal rabies laboratory reports uring 2013. Past years animal rabies numbers may be foun at: http://www.shs.state.tx.us/icu/isease/rabies/cases/statistics/. Four hunre seventeen (417) laboratory-confirme rabies cases were investigate within the 30-county area of HSR7 uring 2013. One hunre thirteen (113) persons an 475 animals were expose to these rabi animals. HSR7 staff investigate an aitional 177 non-negative (ecompose, estroye an unsatisfactory) rabies reports uring 2013. Fifteen (15) persons an 145 animals were expose to these rabies suspect animals. The expose persons receive postexposure rabies vaccinations from local health care proviers. In accorance with the Rabies Control an Eraication Rule Section 169.30, the expose animals were either: (1) vaccinate an confine at home for either 45 or 90 ays, accoring to the animals vaccination status at the time of exposure, or (2) humanely euthanize. Of the 417 cases, rabies was etecte in 285 bats, 99 skunks, 12 raccoons, eight cats, five foxes, four cows, two ogs, one goat an one horse. Coryell, Hamilton, an McLennan counties ha unusually high numbers of skunk rabies-relate cases in 2013. Bat rabies cases in Hays, Travis an Williamson counties exceee 2012 case numbers. HSR7 ha three unusual, thought-provoking rabies incients uring 2013. One of the rabi ogs was CURRENTLY VACCINATED against rabies at the time of its exposure an infection. A veterinarian initially treate the og for vomiting an iarrhea an sent it home. The following ay it was returne for aitional care as it became weak an wobbly with a painful foreleg. On the thir ay, the og resiste letting its foreleg be touche an nippe at inanimate objects. With the avancement of neurological abnormalities, regarless of its rabies vaccination status, the veterinarian euthanize the og. It teste positive for the South Central Skunk rabies strain. Thirteen people an four animals receive rabies postexposure
vaccinations following exposure to this rabi og. This rare incient remins us that animal rabies vaccinations may not prevent rabies. No rabies vaccination shoul be consiere 100% effective. This oes not unermine, though, the legal requirements, plus the isease prevention an public health importance, of rabies vaccinations. Between 1991 an 2012 the Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control Branch ocumente 11 cases of rabies in currently vaccinate omestic animals. All rabies suspect animals (those that bite people as well as those with signs of rabies) must be processe in accorance with Texas rabies law, regarless of vaccination status. One of the rabi cats was iscovere after a Goo Samaritan rescue a 10-week-ol kitten that was hit by a car. A man pulle the kitten from unerneath the car an was bitten. He place the kitten in a box an transporte it to a local animal shelter. He reporte the bite incient to an animal control officer. The next ay the kitten was unable to use its rear limbs. Because of the bite incient it was euthanize an submitte for rabies testing. It teste positive for the South Central Skunk rabies strain. The man receive rabies postexposure prophylaxis. This incient remins us that even though animals are expecte to bite when in pain, all biting ogs an cats must be quarantine or teste in accorance with Texas rabies law to rule out rabies exposure. Two rabi raccoons were foun in the same tree at the same time. Rabies usually is ientifie when one animal emonstrates abnormal behavior, but rarely rabies incients may occur in pairs. In a previous year, HSR7 confirme two rabi kittens from the same barn on the same ay. These incients remin us to process all rabies suspect animals in accorance with Texas rabies law. HSR7 Zoonosis Control thanks animal control officers, veterinarians, peace officers, health care proviers an others for their help with rabies investigations an interventions. Their efforts save human an animal lives. The 2013 rabies cases are recore in the Positive Animal Rabies Cases, Three-Year Comparison, 2011 2013 table an are epicte on the map Health Service Region 7, Animal Rabies Cases, 2013. Please note the map isplays cases base on longitue an latitue coorinates. Because some counties cases occurre in close proximity to each other, some iniviual map symbols may not be istinguishable. [Note: The rabies ata presente in this ocument are obtaine through a passive reporting system an are subject to change. The ata are base solely on the results of animals submitte for rabies testing. There are many more animals (particularly willife) that ie of rabies that are never submitte for rabies testing. Rabies is enemic in Central Texas, an ALL counties have rabies risk.] E-MAIL ALERTS Stay in Touch If you know of others in your agency or community who want to know about animal rabies events in Central Texas, encourage them to share their contact information an e-mail aress with us at 254/ 778-6744, ext. 6784 or HSR7.ZOO@shs.state.tx.us. Please use the HSR7.ZOO@shs.state.tx.us aress when making general inquires to the Zoonosis Control (ZC) program. All ZC staff has access to this email account, so messages may
be receive an processe by anyone on uty. Responses to emails sent to iniviual email aresses (below) may be elaye, when that iniviual is unavailable. HSR7 Zoonosis Control Program personnel (Temple, TX): Beverlee E. Nix, DVM, MPH Zoonosis Control Veterinarian beverlee.nix@shs.state.tx.us Melissa D. Maass, RVT Program Specialist melissa.maass@shs.state.tx.us Leslie Platz, MPH, CHES Program Specialist leslie.platz@shs.state.tx.us Jamie Ferguson Public Health an Prevention Specialist jamie.ferguson@shs.state.tx.us CHANGES HERE: ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER TRAINING MANUAL An upate 2014 version is available at http://www.shs.state.tx.us/icu/health/zoonosis/eucation/training/aco/manual/ All previous eitions of this manual are now outate. ACO TRAINING: SAVE THE DATES June 11-12, 2014 Basic Animal Control Officer Training Course (Two-ay course) Dec. 10 (8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.) Dec. 11 (8:00 am Noon; exam after lunch) Location: DSHS Region 7 heaquarters, Temple Cost: $75.00 December 10-11, 2014 Basic Animal Control Officer Training Course (Two-ay course) Dec. 10 (8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.) Dec. 11 (8:00 am Noon; exam after lunch) Location: DSHS Region 7 heaquarters, Temple Cost: $75.00 Registration form is available at http://www.shs.state.tx.us/region7/acotraining.shtm. Registrations are being accepte. Region 7 Animal Control Officer Continuing Eucation Courses Dates, topics an locations for these classes have not yet been etermine. Statewie ACO CE course listings may be foun at: http://www.shs.state.tx.us/icu/health/zoonosis/eucation/training/
DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, REGION 7 (CENTRAL TEXAS) POSITIVE ANIMAL RABIES CASES, THREE YEAR COMPARISON 2011, 2012, 2013 Year 2011 Year 2012 January - December 31, 2013 County Bat Cat Dog Skunk *Other All Species County Bat Cat Dog Skunk *Other All Species County Bat Cat Dog Skunk *Other All Species BASTROP 4 16 3 23 BASTROP 2 4 6 BASTROP 4 4 BELL 7 7 BELL 2 1 5 8 BELL 2 1 1 5 9 BLANCO 3 3 BLANCO 1 1 2 BLANCO 0 BOSQUE 1 1 2 BOSQUE 1 1 3 5 BOSQUE 3 1 4 BRAZOS 1 11 1 13 BRAZOS 2 1 3 BRAZOS 2 2 4 BURLESON 1 5 6 BURLESON 0 BURLESON 1 1 BURNET 3 1 36 17 57 BURNET 11 1 1 10 4 27 BURNET 7 1 4 2 14 CALDWELL 3 5 8 CALDWELL 0 CALDWELL 1 1 CORYELL 1 2 1 4 CORYELL 1 1 2 CORYELL 3 21 2 26 FALLS 2 2 FALLS 1 1 FALLS 2 2 FAYETTE 1 5 6 FAYETTE 1 1 FAYETTE 2 2 FREESTONE 1 1 FREESTONE 1 1 FREESTONE 2 2 GRIMES 1 1 GRIMES 2 2 GRIMES 1 1 2 HAMILTON 7 7 HAMILTON 3 1 4 HAMILTON 2 7 3 12 HAYS 28 1 29 HAYS 32 32 HAYS 41 41 HILL 0 HILL 0 HILL 2 1 3 LAMPASAS 2 2 LAMPASAS 1 1 LAMPASAS 1 1 1 3 LEE 2 2 LEE 0 LEE 0 LEON 0 LEON 0 LEON 2 2 LIMESTONE 2 2 LIMESTONE 1 1 LIMESTONE 0 LLANO 2 12 12 26 LLANO 5 1 11 10 27 LLANO 2 1 12 10 25 MADISON 1 1 MADISON 1 1 MADISON 2 2 MCLENNAN 1 4 5 MCLENNAN 2 1 3 MCLENNAN 1 2 20 23 MILAM 4 1 5 MILAM 2 2 MILAM 2 2 MILLS 0 MILLS 3 1 4 MILLS 1 2 3 ROBERTSON 1 7 2 10 ROBERTSON 1 1 ROBERTSON 1 3 4 SAN SABA 1 4 6 11 SAN SABA 0 SAN SABA 0 TRAVIS 58 1 59 TRAVIS 74 2 76 TRAVIS 89 89 WASHINGTON 12 12 WASHINGTON 1 1 7 9 WASHINGTON 5 5 WILLIAMSON 86 1 1 44 3 135 WILLIAMSON 88 1 89 WILLIAMSON 130 2 132 Totals 186 6 3 193 51 439 Totals 218 5 3 61 21 308 Totals 285 8 2 99 23 417 *Others: Bastrop: 3 foxes; Blanco: 3 raccoons; *Others: Blanco : 1 raccoon; Burnet : 3 foxes; 1 raccoon; *Others: Brazos: 1 horse; Burnet: 10 foxes, 6 Coryell : 1 raccoon; Hamilton : 1 cow; Lampasas : 1 raccoons, 1 coyote; Coryell: 1 goat; fox; Llano : 6 raccoons, 4 foxes; McLennan : 1 Falls: 1 raccoon, 1 cow; Llano: 1 goat, 7 coyote; Mills : 1 fox Williamson : 1 fox raccoons, 1 onkey, 3 foxes; Milam: 1 horse; Robertson: 2 eer; San Saba: 1 fox, 4 raccoons, 1 goat; Williamson: 2 raccoons, 1 fox Bosque: 1 cow ; Burleson 1 goat; Burnet: 1 cow, 1 raccoon; Coryell: 2 raccoons; Hamilton : 1 cow, 1 fox, 1 horse; Hill: 1 cow; Lampasas: 1 raccoon; Llano: 3 foxes, 7 raccoons; Mills : 1 fox, 1 raccoon
Health Service Region 7 Positive Animal Rabies Cases January 1 - December 31, 2013 Species Total = 417 Bat (285) Cat (8) ' Cow (4) XW Dog (2) GF Fox (5) ( Goat (1) / Horse (1) San Saba GF Mills Llano Hill Bosque ' GF ' ' Hamilton / Freestone Limestone McLennan Coryell Lampasas Leon Falls XW Bell Robertson XW ' Maison GF Burnet Williamson GF Milam Brazos ( Grimes Burleson Travis Blanco Lee Washington Hays Bastrop Calwell Fayette GF Raccoon (12) Skunk (99)