[bcbirdclub] UpDate Rabies in Tazewell County, VA. (Long email)
- From: "Anna McRae" <annamcrae@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "WV-BIRD" <WV-BIRD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Bristol Birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Buchanan County Bird Club" <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:03:29 -0500
December 3, 2010, I forwarded part of an article that appeared in the
newspaper, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph,
regarding the reported cases of rabies in the Burkes Garden area of Tazewell
County, VA and Princeton
,WV.
This past Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 there was another incident of a case of
rabies found in a miniature
horse in the Goose Creek Estates area of North Tazewell, making this the area's
eighth rabid animal
reported this year.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Re: the article "Rabies found in unlikely animal--a miniature horse" by Kate
Coil, BDT newspaper.
According to Brian Stanley, environmental health manager of the Cumberland
Plateau Health District,
a local veterinarian notified the Health Dept. that the miniature horse died
late in the evening on Friday,
Dec. 3 or early morning, Saturday, Dec. 4 with possible signs and symptoms of
rabies infection.
The health department is currently investigating any incidents of humans or
other animals exposed to
the virus as well as how the horse contacted the virus in the first place.
Anyone living in the area is asked to observe their pets and livestock for any
wounds or strange
behavior. If any wounds or strange behavior is observed, the animal needs to
be examined by a
veterinarian immediately to determine if the animal is exhibiting signs of the
rabies virus.
Robert Parker , a public information officer with the VA Dept. of Health, said
he was not familiar
with any previous cases of rabies in miniature horses but that rabies within
livestock is common.
Rabies can occur in any mammal he said. It is more common in foxes, raccoons
and skunks.
There is a vaccine available for livestock though it is not required by law, as
it is for cats, dogs
and ferrets. Owners of livestock should consider getting these vaccinations for
their animals.
Livestock infected with rabies will behave in the same way as household pets
or wildlife that
has been infected. Rabies symptoms include staggering, delirium,
hallucinations, fever and
loss of balance. Foaming of the mouth or salivating will not occur until the
disease is quite
advanced.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Dr, John Dreyzehner, health director of the Cumberland Plateau Health
District, said the incident
involving the horse showed how important it is for pets and livestock to have
rabies vaccinations.
" Rabies is a fatal disease. It can be prevented with vaccinations prior to
symptoms developing
but once symptoms begin, it cannot be cured".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information concerning rabies, visit the Virginia Dept. of Health's
Rabies Control and
Prevention web site at www.vdh.virginia.gov/epi/rabies or call the Tazewell
County Health
Dept. at 276-988-5585.
To report any suspicious animal please contact the Tazewell County Health
Dept. at
276-988-5585 or the Tazewell County Animal Control Office at 276-988-4160.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Points in this article were selected for passing information on to the birders
, clubs
and others who travel to Tazewell County, VA and Mercer County, WV for outdoor
field trips in this area. Because of birding field trips to these areas, I
thought there was a
need to inform all who might visit the area of the rabies incidents. This is
not meant to
discourage trips to the areas but to alert visitors to be cautious when around
strange or
suspicious behaving animals. Report to the above listed numbers any concerns
that you
may have.
Be safe and enjoy the birds.
Ann McRae
Bluefield, WV
Mercer County
Other related posts:
- » [bcbirdclub] UpDate Rabies in Tazewell County, VA. (Long email) - Anna McRae
