Texas Department of State Health Services David L. Lakey, M.D. Commissioner http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/region7/default.shtm Lisa Cornelius, M.D., M.P.H. Regional Medical Director 2408 S. 37 th Street Temple, Texas 76504 (254) 778-6744 July 15, 2011 There were 268 laboratory-confirmed animal rabies cases reported from the 30- county area of Health Service Region 7 (HSR7) during the first six months of 2011. Region 7 staff investigated an additional 87 non-negative (decomposed, destroyed, and unsatisfactory) rabies test result incidents. Rabies was confirmed in HSR7 in 146 skunks, 88 bats, 5 cats, 2 dogs, and 27 other animals (11 foxes, 11 raccoons, two goats, one deer, one donkey and a horse). Counties with laboratory-confirmed rabies cases include: Bastrop (13), Bell (5), Bosque (2), Brazos (10), Burleson (3), Burnet (40), Caldwell (5), Coryell (3), Falls (1), Fayette (5), Freestone (1), Grimes (1), Hamilton (6), Hays (7), Lampasas (1), Lee (2), Llano (15), Madison (1), McLennan (2), Milam (4), Robertson (7), San Saba (5), Travis (36), Washington (9), and Williamson (84). Several HSR7 counties have experienced considerable increases in laboratoryconfirmed animal rabies cases during the first six months of 2011. Williamson County leads all Central Texas counties in positive rabies cases due to endemic bat rabies and a significant increase in skunk rabies. Bastrop, Burnet, Hamilton and Llano counties observed greater numbers of rabies cases, because of laboratory-confirmed rabid skunks and skunk rabies virus spill over into raccoons and foxes. Hays County had its first laboratory-confirmed rabid skunk case during the second quarter, which indicates the encroachment of rabid skunks from neighboring endemic counties. As of June 30, 2011, the domestic animal rabies cases in HSR7 occurred in never vaccinated animals infected with the skunk rabies strain. Some owners of the rabid dogs and cats knew their animals had been attacked by skunks but failed to appreciate the rabies risks associated with the incidents. The owners did not report skunk incidents to their veterinarians or animal control agencies, so they never received guidance on postexposure protocols (euthanasia or vaccinations and home isolation) for domestic animals exposed to rabid animals. Rabies developed in these animals within weeks of the exposure dates and multiple people were exposed requiring postexposure vaccinations to prevent human and animal deaths. The second quarter rabies cases are recorded in the Positive Animal Rabies Cases, Three-Year Comparison, 2009 2011 table and are depicted on the map Health Service Region 7, Animal Rabies Cases by County, January 1, 2011 June 30, 2011.
Please note the map displays cases based on longitude and latitude coordinates. Because some counties cases occurred in close proximity to each other, each individual map symbol may not be distinguishable. [Note: The rabies data presented in this document are obtained through a passive reporting system. The data are based solely on the results of animals submitted for rabies testing. There are many more animals (particularly wildlife) that die of rabies that are never submitted for rabies testing. Rabies is endemic in Central Texas, and ALL counties have rabies risk.] EDUCATE Prevent Rabies in your Area through Education and Action HSR7 encourages you to: Promote animal bite avoidance and animal bite reporting. Consider messages like: Do not feed or handle stray, wild or injured animals. They may bite, which creates a potential rabies exposure. Immediately report animal bites to animal control or a health care professional! If the animal can be proven not to have rabies, bite victims will not need expensive postexposure rabies vaccinations. Promote rabies awareness by providing proper postexposure advice. Rabies is very common in Central Texas wildlife. Some persons remain unaware that skunks, bats and other high-risk wildlife transmit rabies. Use public media and social networking methods to share rabies prevention messages. For example: Keep your pets currently vaccinated against rabies. Rabid animals can enter fenced yards, pet crates, doggie doors, pens, stalls, kennels and more. A rabid skunk can bite your pet through the holes in chain link fence. Bats can fly into high-rise apartments and expose pets there. Skunks and bats are the most common animals to have rabies in Texas. Rabies is spread through the bite of an infected animal. Get help from your veterinarian, animal control agency, or public health official if your pet is injured by or unsupervised around a rabies suspect animal. Take action. Protect your pet s life! Don t handle any high-risk wildlife. Leave their care to wildlife rehabilitators or let nature take its course. A mammal of any age (young or old) can have rabies. Visit http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/rabies for statewide rabies information. ACT Take action in your community!
Vaccinate dogs and cats. Vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies when they are between 12 and 16 weeks of age. Administer a second vaccination within the following 12 months. After two rabies vaccinations, a dog or cat qualifies for three-year rabies vaccinations if local laws permit pets to be immunized at three-year intervals. Quarantine and test rabies suspect animals that have bitten or otherwise potentially exposed people to rabies. Dogs and cats must be quarantined for 10 days (240 hours) from the date of the bite. If the animal cannot be quarantined, brain tissue must be submitted to laboratory for rabies testing. Livestock and exotic animals must be quarantined for 30 days following bites. If the animal cannot be quarantined, brain tissue must be submitted to the DSHS laboratory for rabies testing. High-risk rabies species (bats, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes) must be submitted to laboratory for rabies testing. Low-risk rabies species (rodents, rabbits, armadillos, etc.) may be submitted to laboratory for rabies testing when rabies is suspected; however, low-risk species are very unlikely to have rabies. Texas Rabies Control and Eradication Rules Section 169.27 can be found at: http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.tacpage?sl=r&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc =&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=25&pt=1&ch=169&rl=27 Following a pet s encounter with a rabies suspect animal, Region 7 Zoonosis Control urges owners to: Euthanize exposed animals, or Revaccinate a currently vaccinated animal immediately and confine for 45 days, and/ or Vaccinate the not currently vaccinated animal immediately and 21 and 56 days from the exposure date and confine for 90 days. APPRECIATE HSR7 appreciates your efforts! It takes a team to prevent human and animal rabies cases. Animal control officers, animal shelter workers, veterinarians, rabies laboratory technicians, health care providers, elected officials, public health colleagues and news reporters work together to limit the impact of rabies in Central Texas communities. DSHS appreciates the contributions of these stakeholders. Their efforts saved the lives of people and pets in their communities.
Stay in Touch E-MAIL ALERTS If you know of others in your agency or community who would benefit from knowing about animal rabies events in Central Texas, please have them share their contact information and e-mail address with Kelly Andrews at 254/ 778-6744, ext. 6784 or kelly.andrews@dshs.state.tx.us. HSR7 Zoonosis Control Program personnel (Temple, TX): Beverlee E. Nix, DVM, MPH Zoonosis Control Veterinarian beverlee.nix@dshs.state.tx.us Melissa D. Maass, RVT Program Specialist melissa.maass@dshs.state.tx.us Leslie Platz, CHES Program Specialist leslie.platz@dshs.state.tx.us Kelly Andrews Public Health Technician kelly.andrews@dshs.state.tx.us
DEPT. OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH SERVICE REGION 7 (CENTRAL TEXAS) POSITIVE ANIMAL RABIES CASES, THREE YEAR COMPARISON 2009, 2010, 2011 Year 2009 Year 2010 January - June 30 2011 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 7 7 BASTROP 4 1 5 BASTROP 3 9 1 13 BELL 5 1 6 BELL 3 3 6 BELL 5 5 BLANCO 3 3 BLANCO 0 BLANCO 0 BOSQUE 1 1 BOSQUE 0 BOSQUE 1 1 2 BRAZOS 4 1 20 25 BRAZOS 1 2 12 15 BRAZOS 1 9 10 BURLESON 1 3 4 BURLESON 1 1 BURLESON 1 2 3 BURNET 9 1 1 5 16 BURNET 4 1 5 BURNET 1 29 10 40 CALDWELL 2 2 CALDWELL 2 1 3 CALDWELL 1 4 5 CORYELL 1 1 3 1 6 CORYELL 1 3 1 5 CORYELL 1 1 1 3 FALLS 1 1 FALLS 0 FALLS 1 1 FAYETTE 3 3 FAYETTE 3 3 FAYETTE 1 4 5 FREESTONE 0 FREESTONE 1 1 FREESTONE 1 1 GRIMES 0 GRIMES 0 GRIMES 1 1 HAMILTON 1 1 2 HAMILTON 0 HAMILTON 6 6 HAYS 2 2 HAYS 9 9 HAYS 6 1 7 HILL 2 2 HILL 1 1 2 HILL 0 LAMPASAS 1 1 LAMPASAS 1 2 3 LAMPASAS 1 1 LEE 1 1 LEE 4 4 LEE 2 2 LEON 1 1 2 LEON 1 1 LEON 0 LIMESTONE 1 4 1 6 LIMESTONE 0 LIMESTONE 0 LLANO 1 1 2 LLANO 1 1 4 6 LLANO 8 7 15 MADISON 0 MADISON 0 MADISON 1 1 MCLENNAN 1 1 2 MCLENNAN 1 4 5 MCLENNAN 2 2 MILAM 1 1 MILAM 1 1 2 MILAM 3 1 4 MILLS 0 MILLS 5 2 7 MILLS 0 ROBERTSON 5 5 ROBERTSON 6 6 ROBERTSON 1 5 1 7 SAN SABA 2 2 SAN SABA 5 3 8 SAN SABA 3 2 5 TRAVIS 102 1 103 TRAVIS 68 1 69 TRAVIS 35 1 36 WASHINGTON 1 2 3 WASHINGTON 12 12 WASHINGTON 9 9 WILLIAMSON 24 2 26 WILLIAMSON 78 1 1 80 WILLIAMSON 41 1 1 38 3 84 Totals 156 4 2 57 15 234 Totals 167 11 2 65 13 258 Totals 88 5 2 146 27 268 *Others: Bell - cow; Burnet - 4 raccoons,1 bobcat; *Others: Burnet - fox; Coryell - raccoon; *Others: Bastrop: 1 fox; Burnet: 7 foxes, 3 raccoons; Coryell - raccoon; Falls - fox; Hamilton - coyote; Lampasas - 1 raccoon, 1 fox; Coryell: 1 Goat; Falls: 1 raccoon; Lampasas - raccoon; Leon - horse; Limestone - fox; Llano - 2 raccoons, 2 foxes; Mills - 1 goat, Llano: 1 goat, 4 raccoons, 1 donkey, 1 fox Milam - raccoon; San Saba - cow; raccoon 1 raccoon; San Saba - 1 bobcat, 1 fox, 1 donkey Milam: 1 horse; Robertson: 1 Deer San Saba: 1 fox, 1 raccoon; Williamson: 2 raccoons, 1 fox
Health Service Region 7 Animal Rabies Cases by County January 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011 Mills San Saba kj!< Llano Hill Bosque Hamilton Coryell!< Freestone McLennan Limestone Leon Falls Lampasas Bell Robertson!. Madison Burnet!C Milam Williamson Brazos GF GF Grimes Burleson Travis Lee Blanco Washington Bastrop Hays Fayette Caldwell Animal Bat (88) Cat (5)!. Deer (1) GF kj!<!c Dog (2) Donkey (1) Fox (11) Goat (2) Horse (1) Raccoon (11) Skunk (146) Total = 268