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Officials confirm rabies case in Lamar County
By Connie Beard
Published September 14, 2009
A confirmed case of rabies was discovered in a calf on a ranch between Chicota and Forest Chapel this past week.
Northeast Texas has its fair share of rabies each year. Most of the cases local veterinarians see are with skunks and raccoons, but occasionally a family pet contracts the disease.
“This was just in the last two or three days that we found out,” said Dr. Wally Kraft. The owners were taking care of the calf, which has since died. The calf was sent in for testing, which takes four to five days, according to Kraft.
Since they were caring for the calf while it was sick, and may have been exposed to the disease, the family decided it was best to begin taking treatment for rabies, Kraft said.
Although rabies has always been in the area, Kraft said there are times he’s gone years without a case. However, this year in January he also dealt with a dog who had rabies.
Dr. James Wright, a veterinarian with the Department of State Health Services, works in the Tyler office. Wright specializes in diseases transmitted from animals to people. That office oversees all of Northeast Texas.
“We also had a skunk reported in 2009,” Wright said. “With those three rabies cases, obviously there are others.”
His office gathers statistics on rabies cases, but he said not all cases are reported. Some people just kill the animal and leave it in the pasture, or they lose track of it or kill it in such a way it can’t be tested for the disease.
So far in 2009, Northeast Texas has had 65 cases of reported rabies. That’s not an unusually high number for the area, though. Last year there was a total of 87, with 41 in 2007 and 59 in 2006. 2002 had a high number of reported cases at 104, according to Wright.
“Those are the cases we know about,” he said. “To sum it up, if you’re in east Texas, you’re always liable to encounter a rabid animal.”
Wright said if someone gets bit by an animal, they should report it to the local health department or animal control. Officials contain the animal to watch it for a 10-day period. If infected, an animal will show symptoms within five to six days.
“We try to prove they don’t need shots,” Wright said.
If someone is bitten, Wright said they will discuss the situation with them and their physician before making any recommendations.
Rabies symptoms vary widely from animal to animal, so it can be difficult to diagnose the disease.
Skunks are well known to be likely to have rabies, but Wright said bats carry rabies, too. Bats are a bigger concern, since most people don’t realize the danger. A rabid bat can transfer the disease just by bumping into someone and nicking them with a tooth, and children are more likely to pick up a bat and play with it than a skunk.
Household pets such as dogs and cats can contract the disease by coming into contact with a rabid animal. They can then bring it into the house or yard, close enough for human contact.
“Vaccination is the key,” Wright said. He also stressed getting cats vaccinated, too. “In the U.S., there are three times as many rabid cats as dogs.”
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