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SPORTSMEN WARNED OF RABIES RISK AS HUNTING SEASON APPROACHES
With two cases of rabies confirmed in livestock this year, and nearly 70 cases detected in wildlife during the first half of 2008, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is warning sportsmen and other forest visitors to avoid animals that are behaving strangely or appear to be unusually aggressive.
“We simply want people to know that rabies is present in West Virginia and that they should use that knowledge whenever they encounter wildlife,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “While the chance of an exposure involving wildlife is small, everyone should remember that rabies is a fatal disease if left untreated, and the treatment regimen is quite expensive and unpleasant. The key is to prevent any exposure to rabid animals.”
Perhaps the most likely route of exposure is through unvaccinated pets that come into contact with rabid wildlife and then spread the disease to unwitting humans.
Commissioner Douglass also reminded pet owners that, under state law, dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies every two years. He also said that farmers might consider vaccinating livestock, especially valuable breeding stock and show animals.
State law does not require rabies inoculations for livestock, but it does require that manufacturers ship vaccine only to veterinarians in West Virginia, not directly to consumers.
“Veterinarians may sell vaccine to consumers for them to use on their animals, but only for approved livestock,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass.
The current rabies vaccine is approved only for dogs, cats, cattle, horses and sheep. It is not approved for goats, swine or other animals, according to WVDA State Veterinarian Joe Starcher.
“The danger of using the vaccine on unapproved animals is that it may not provide immunization against the disease, giving people in contact with that animal a false sense of security that the animal can’t contract rabies,” Dr. Starcher explained.
Injections for pets must be given by a veterinarian to ensure proper record-keeping. The veterinarian and the county clerk keep a record of the vaccination, so if a person is bitten by an immunized animal, he or she will know they don’t have to undergo treatment.
Regardless of what the label on the vaccine says, under West Virginia law, rabies vaccinations are good for only two years for dogs and cats - and only one year for cattle, horses and sheep, Dr. Starcher added.
WVDA has participated in a program in recent years to help slow the westward spread of rabies in raccoons. USDA-Wildlife Service’s Oral Rabies Vaccination program has air-dropped nearly two million vaccine-laden baits annually throughout West Virginia since the program started here in 2001.
Rabies is an acute viral disease of the central nervous system that can affect all mammals. It is particularly common in raccoons, skunks, bats and coyotes. It is almost exclusively transmitted through saliva from the bite of an infected animal. Symptoms include aggression, confusion, fever, painful muscle spasms, sensitivity to touch, loud noise, and light, extreme thirst, painful swallowing, and excessive salivation, followed by paralysis and death.
See releated news releases:
USDA DISTRIBUTES ORAL RABIES VACCINE ACROSS WEST VIRGINIA Full Story
AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT CLARIFIES RULES ON RABIES VACCINATIONS Full Story
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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