Officials Urge Vigilance Against Rabies, Still A Deadly Threat

by Alan Pollock

            Public health officials are warning people to take steps to protect themselves from an insidious virus that’s found everywhere on Cape Cod, which, left untreated, is always fatal.  It’s rabies, and it’s often fully preventable.

            In an announcement of rabies awareness month, the Cape Cod Rabies Task Force noted that the first two cases of domestic animals with rabies were recently reported on Cape Cod, two cats in Yarmouth and Bourne which were not currently vaccinated against the disease.  The cats had to be destroyed, and the owners had to undergo a series of six injections to treat them for possible exposure to the virus.   

Dr. James Coleman of Pleasant Bay Animal Hospital and Chatham Animal Control Officer Meg McDonough examine a cat after a rabies vaccination.  FILE PHOTO

           Rabies exists naturally in the wild, and is found in many wild animals on Cape Cod, including raccoons and bats.  Though people rarely have close encounters with infected wild animals, domestic pets often do, and can pass the virus to people through their saliva or mucous membranes.  The potential exists for several people to unknowingly become infected by a single animal, officials say.

            If an unvaccinated cat becomes infected by fighting with a raccoon, it might not immediately show symptoms.  That cat might scratch or bite several children, exposing them to the virus, and then might die outdoors, with its owners assuming it fell victim to a coyote or a car.  In such a case, the children’s illness might go undiagnosed until it is advanced enough to be untreatable. 

            “It doesn’t matter whether it’s cats, dogs, horses.  Anything with four legs needed to be vaccinated for rabies,” Chatham Animal Control Officer Meg McDonough said.  “People really need to stay on top of it.” 

            The rabies virus affects the central nervous system of mammals, and causes nearly 55,000 human deaths worldwide, mostly in developing countries where the post-exposure vaccine is unavailable and public health education and regulations are lacking.  It is impossible to test a live animal for rabies, so animals which are suspected to be infected must be euthanized for a post-mortem examination.  Last year alone, more than 900 cats were euthanized and tested for rabies; because only six tested positive, most died unnecessarily.  Of the top six animal species most frequently tested for rabies, cats top the list, followed by bats, dogs, raccoons and skunks.  A small number of coyotes are also tested each year.

            Though bat-borne rabies has been present on Cape Cod for years, a state-funded vaccine program kept raccoon rabies from reaching Cape Cod until 2004.  Baits laced with vaccine were placed in the woods around the Cape Cod Canal, creating a community of vaccinated raccoons that kept the virus from spreading eastward.  In 2004, nine months after the Romney administration cut funding for the vaccine program, the first case of terrestrial rabies was reported on the Upper Cape.  By February 2006, the vaccine had spread eastward to Chatham, and it is now found throughout the Cape.

            State officials restored funding for the vaccine program, and as they have in previous years, officials from Tufts University have already begun distributing rabies vaccine in bait packages around the Cape in an effort to increase immunity among wild animals here.  The distribution began last week and is expected to be complete by tomorrow, May 2.  The liquid vaccine is enclosed in a fish-scented sachet or a polymer block coated with fishmeal, designed to be irresistible to raccoons.  Crews try to avoid placing the bait where people and pets are likely to find it, but people who do find bait are asked to leave it alone, or use a glove or towel to pick it up and throw it into the woods.  People should wash their hands thoroughly after handling the bait package, and should call Tufts University at 508-839-7918 to report finding the bait.

            Officials say the vaccine will not harm pets, though dogs that eat several of the fishmeal blocks may experience stomach upset from the fatty bait.  If your pet has eaten a bait packet, call Dr. Janet Martin at 774-230-2210.  People who come in contact with the liquid vaccine should wash the area thoroughly and call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 617-983-6800. For people with healthy immune systems, the vaccine should not pose a health hazard, officials say.

            By law, rabies vaccinations are required for all dogs, cats and ferrets—even indoor ones—along with certain livestock.  Public health officials estimate that more than two-thirds of cats on Cape Cod are unvaccinated.  The best way to protect people against the virus is to protect domestic animals, officials say.  To avoid having the animal placed under quarantine or euthanized, pet owners should also ensure that animals are properly tagged.  “People really need to make their pets identifiable, cats in particular,” McDonough said.

            Pet owners who notice that their dog or cat has been injured outside should avoid touching the area of the wound and consult a veterinarian.  Often, people find the wound and examine it closely or try to clean it, McDonough said.  “They then contaminate themselves by touching around where that wound site is,” she said.

            If a person finds a dead animal on their property, it is their responsibility to dispose of it, McDonough said.  The best way is to don gloves and bury the carcass, touching the animal only with the shovel blade.  Then, the shovel should be sanitized with a bleach mixture, hosed off, and allowed to dry in the sun.

            Rabies vaccine clinics are held regularly on Cape Cod, and people should call their veterinarian to find out when the next clinic takes place.  Some veterinarians also provide rabies vaccines without additional treatment, McDonough said.

5/1/07