Animal borne rabies is a source of infection in humans, and raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the primary terrestrial reservoir in West Virginia (WV). To assess the behavior and status of raccoon variant rabies virus (RRV) in WV, a longitudinal analysis for the period 2000-2015 was performed, using data provided by the state Bureau of Public Health. Analytic approaches included linear-mixed, Poisson, and zero inflated Poisson regressions. Each of these approaches indicated that there had been a reduction in numbers of RRV positive animals over the study period, predominantly due to a decrease in raccoon infections. Non-raccoon species did not appear to have a similar decline, however. This has implications for the preventive measures currently being implemented. Spatial analyses of RRV and further examination of the virus in non-raccoon species are warranted. PeerJ Preprints | https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.3403v1 | CC BY 4.0 Open Access | rec Abstract 17 Animal borne rabies is a source of infection in humans, and raccoons (Procyon lotor) are 18 the primary terrestrial reservoir in West Virginia (WV). To assess the behavior and status of 19 raccoon variant rabies virus (RRV) in WV, a longitudinal analysis for the period 2000-2015 was 20 performed, using data provided by the state Bureau of Public Health. Analytic approaches 21 included linear-mixed, Poisson, and zero inflated Poisson regressions. Each of these approaches 22 indicated that there had been a reduction in numbers of RRV positive animals over the study 23 period, predominantly due to a decrease in raccoon infections. Non-raccoon species did not 24 appear to have a similar decline, however. This has implications for the preventive measures 25 currently being implemented. Spatial analyses of RRV and further examination of the virus in 26 non-raccoon species are warranted. 27 Introduction 28 Rabies causes an almost invariably fatal infection in any mammal, including humans. 29 This neurotropic virus is a lyssavirus, within the Rhabdoviridae family.(Prevention 2011a) 30 Rabies induced fatal encephalomyelitis is endemic throughout the Americas, with higher 31 numbers of human deaths in Mexico, Central America and South America.(Prevention 2011c) 32 Over the past 100 years, the species distribution of rabies and risk of human exposure in 33 the United States have changed dramatically because of coordinated vaccination efforts in 34 domestic animals, especially dogs and cats.(Prevention 2011b; Prevention 2011c) More than 36 1960, the majority were in domestic animals.(Prevention 2011b) The principal rabies hosts in the 37 U.S. today are wild mesocarnivores and bats,(Prevention 2017) and most human exposures 38 remain from carnivores. Although rabies kills thousands of people each year worldwide, human 39 deaths have decreased dramatically in the United States, (Lozano et al. 2012) primarily due to 40 successful preventive efforts. 41 Affected wildlife animals, including raccoons (Procyon lotor), often lose their fear of 42 humans and become active durin...
In June 1977 an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis affected 103 students and teachers at an elementary school in Ohio. The illness typically lasted 24 hours or less and was characterized by vomiting (86%) and cramping (70%), but more than half of the persons involved also reported having nausea, diarrhea, and headache. Similar illness frequently followed in household members (29%) of families with primary cases. Investigation revealed that 70% of the children and teachers who swam in a pool at an all day outing June 1 (4 classrooms) and 55% of those who swam during a similar outing June 2 (2 classrooms) had the onset of acute illness from 12--48 hours later. None of the children who attended the outings but did not swim had a similar illness. The evidence suggested that the primary outbreak was caused by contaminated water in the pool and that person-to-person spread of illness followed. Results of a microbiologic study of pool water were negative for bacterial and viral pathogens. Throat washings, stool specimens, and paired blood samples studied for evidence of pathogens were negative initially, but subsequent serologic studies suggested that infection by Norwalk virus was the cause of the outbreak. The pool chlorinator which was inadvertently unconnected at the time of the school visits was reconnected and an underground leak in the water supply pipes was corrected. No more cases were reported after the pool was drained, cleaned, and reopened.
In February 1982, a four-year-old Nevada girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission was hospitalized with fulminant pneumonia and died eight days later at a hospital in California. An influenza virus was the only pathogen detected, and was present in both antemortem and postmortem specimens. The virus was closely related antigenically to A/New Jersey/8/76 (H1N1) and had a genome very similar to a contemporary enzootic swine influenza virus. The patient had had no known contact with swine, and the source of infection could not be determined. Only five possible secondary cases could be detected by retrospective investigation of 62 contacts, and there was no evidence of spread to the general community. Swine influenza viruses circulate among pigs in the United States annually, and it is likely that sporadic transmissions to humans will continue to be detected. Nevertheless, person-to-person spread under these circumstances appears to be limited.
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