Rabies Update

Ohio has reported an increase in rabid raccoons in the past few months. Mahoning County, in northeastern Ohio, has reported 26 rabies positive raccoons, 1 positive cat and 1 positive bat. The issue of exposure of rabies from wildlife animals was significantly elevated when a 3 year old child, who was riding his tricycle in his parents' driveway, was bitten by a rabies positive raccoon in Mahoning County. Therefore, Ohio has launched a plan to deal with raccoon rabies by the use of an oral baiting/vaccine program, a public awareness campaign and a quarantine/ vaccination order for dogs and cats in Mahoning, Columbiana, Trumbull and Ashtabula Counties. It is postulated that this increase in raccoon rabies is due to the spillover of rabies in raccoons in Pennsylvania, since it is known that raccoon rabies has moved north and eastward beginning in the Northeastern region of the United States at rates of 25-50 miles per year.

A total of 2,151 animals in Indiana were tested for rabies at the Indiana State Department of Health Disease Control Laboratory in 1996. Dogs were the most frequently tested species with 750 (34.9%) submissions, followed by cats, 722 (33.6%); bats, 204 (9.5%); and raccoons, 169 (7.9%). The remaining 306 (14.2%) animals included 32 different animal species. In 1996, there were 8 bats positive for rabies and one skunk in Indiana. To date, in 1997, there has been 1 bat positive for rabies and 4 skunks.

Realizing the significant public health risk associated with this disease, as well as the current rabies situation in Ohio, Dr. Bret Marsh, Indiana State Veterinarian has assembled a Rabies Task Force. The purpose of this task force is to ultimately develop a plan of action for controlling rabies in Indiana. Members of this task force include individuals from the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Indiana State Board of Health, Indiana State Board of Animal Health, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Purdue University and others. Although this task force is just beginning to evaluate the needs of Indiana with regard to this disease, public and domestic animal vaccination programs have been the hallmarks of successful strategies in other states on the eastern coast which have dealt with this disease problem.

- By M. Randy White, DVM, PhD