Post by Itrapny on Apr 25, 2007 16:20:32 GMT -5
www.wadsworth.org/rabies/AnnualSummaries/2005/2005nmbs.pdf
The raccoon rabies outbreak that moved into Nassau County on Long Island in 2004 persisted there in 2005, and remained enzootic in nearly all of the rest of New York State during the year. Terrestrial wildlife rabies brings with it the constant risk of encounters with rabid animals in affected areas. Since 1990 New York State has been affected by this outbreak of rabies in raccoons that has swept from Florida to Maine, and threatens to spread westward in the United States. Rabies is a cyclic, density-dependent disease in raccoon populations. Mortality from rabies reduces raccoon population densities in affected areas. As raccoon populations rebound, rabies incidence increases again. Thus in New York, we now have a pattern of increasing and waning rabies prevalence in areas across the state. Only two New York State counties (Franklin and Suffolk) have not experienced documented raccoon rabies within their borders. However, towns contiguous with both of these counties have experienced rabies in raccoons. In addition to raccoons, this variant of rabies virus can infect a wide range of other mammals, including humans.
Human Exposures to Rabid Animals
In 23.5% of the animal rabies cases there was a recognized human exposure, as there were 47 bites to humans and an additional 86 other direct human contacts reported with the 565 laboratory-confirmed rabid animals. In 52.3% of the cases there was exposure to domestic animals. The highest rate of human exposure (80.5%) occurred to the 21 rabid gray foxes, which included 15 bites and two direct contacts. Among the 80 rabid bats identified in 2005, there were 12 bites to humans and 9 other direct contacts, for a human exposure rate of 26%. Pet exposure occurred with 29% of the rabid bats. There were 6 humans bitten and 44 humans in contact with the 334 rabid raccoons, resulting in a 15% exposure rate. In contrast, pet exposure, primarily in dogs, occurred with 53.3% of the rabid raccoons.
The raccoon rabies outbreak that moved into Nassau County on Long Island in 2004 persisted there in 2005, and remained enzootic in nearly all of the rest of New York State during the year. Terrestrial wildlife rabies brings with it the constant risk of encounters with rabid animals in affected areas. Since 1990 New York State has been affected by this outbreak of rabies in raccoons that has swept from Florida to Maine, and threatens to spread westward in the United States. Rabies is a cyclic, density-dependent disease in raccoon populations. Mortality from rabies reduces raccoon population densities in affected areas. As raccoon populations rebound, rabies incidence increases again. Thus in New York, we now have a pattern of increasing and waning rabies prevalence in areas across the state. Only two New York State counties (Franklin and Suffolk) have not experienced documented raccoon rabies within their borders. However, towns contiguous with both of these counties have experienced rabies in raccoons. In addition to raccoons, this variant of rabies virus can infect a wide range of other mammals, including humans.
Human Exposures to Rabid Animals
In 23.5% of the animal rabies cases there was a recognized human exposure, as there were 47 bites to humans and an additional 86 other direct human contacts reported with the 565 laboratory-confirmed rabid animals. In 52.3% of the cases there was exposure to domestic animals. The highest rate of human exposure (80.5%) occurred to the 21 rabid gray foxes, which included 15 bites and two direct contacts. Among the 80 rabid bats identified in 2005, there were 12 bites to humans and 9 other direct contacts, for a human exposure rate of 26%. Pet exposure occurred with 29% of the rabid bats. There were 6 humans bitten and 44 humans in contact with the 334 rabid raccoons, resulting in a 15% exposure rate. In contrast, pet exposure, primarily in dogs, occurred with 53.3% of the rabid raccoons.