Skunk and Raccoon Rabies in the Eastern United States: Temporal and Spatial Analysis

Guerra, Marta; Curns, Aaron T.; Rupprecht, Charles E.; Hanlon, Cathleen A.; Krebs, John W.; Childs, James E.

doi:10.3201/eid0909.020608

Cited by 111 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…After 1992, specimen submissions increased to almost eightfold, and the number of positive animals increased to 45-fold. Similar to observations in other jurisdictions (Fischman et al, 1992;Krebs et al, 1994;Wilson et al, 1997;Guerra et al, 2003;Krebs et al, 2004), raccoons and skunks with the raccoon strain virus became the predominant animals positive for rabies, and the diversity of submitted and positive animals continued to increase significantly. In the period 1985-1991, bats accounted for 50/52 (96%) rabiespositive animals, with two foxes with bat strain rabies.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…This reflects population dynamics in the face of an epizootic of fatal disease and the exhaustion of susceptible animals to sustain the force of infectivity. This is consistent with the 48-mo period of the first epizootic phase in the predictive modeling and other temporal and spatial analysis of wildlife rabies (Bö gel et al, 1976;Hanlon et al, 1999;Guerra et al, 2003). Since that time, a less dramatic, approximate 5-yr cycle may be in evidence, with geotemporal hot spots of intensified activity occurring.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…Fall is associated with fewer encounters and higher likelihood that an encounter would be with a rabid animal demonstrating abnormal behavior. Similar seasonal variation in rabies incidence in animals with the introduction of raccoon strain rabies has been observed in other areas (Jenkins et al, 1988;Fischman et al, 1992;Torrence et al, 1992;Krebs et al, 2000;Guerra et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 48%

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Animal Rabies in Massachusetts, 1985–2006

Wang

Werner

Konomi

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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ABSTRACT:In this study, we review annual rabies data from Massachusetts from 1985 to 2006, spanning the introduction of raccoon strain rabies in 1992. Of 52,034 animals tested, 9.7% (5,049/ 52,034) were rabid, representing 26 of over 67 species submitted. Bats were the most common rabid animals prior to 1992 (50 of 52), but raccoons (Procyon lotor) became the most common rabies-positive species upon arrival of raccoon strain rabies virus (38.2%, 2,728 of 7,138 tested), followed by striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis, 34.4%, 1,489 of 4,332), bats (5.3%, 427 of 8,053), foxes (red fox, Vulpes vulpes, and gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, 16.3%, 135 of 827), cats (0.8%, 136 of 18,050), and woodchucks (Marmota monax, 5.7%, 82 of 1,446). Cats were the most frequently tested animal (34.7%). Raccoon strain rabies spread from two foci of introduction with an initial epizootic phase of 4 yr, by which time most of the state was affected. In 1992, there was a transition from enzootic bat rabies, with little spillover to other animals, to terrestrial rabies associated with raccoon strain virus. Although raccoons were most affected by the raccoon strain virus, there was spillover to other species, particularly to skunks. The eastern United States raccoon rabies epizootic led to a marked increase in submissions for rabies testing and the number of positive animals detected; however, bat rabies cases remained at their previous levels. Wild animal rabies presents a significant threat to humans and domestic/companion animals and increased costs related to increased demand for rabies testing, postexposure prophylaxis as well as euthanasia of valuable domestic animals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 48%

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Animal Rabies in Massachusetts, 1985–2006

Wang

Werner

Konomi

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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“…Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and raccoon (Procyon lotor) populations are major wildlife rabies reservoirs in the eastern United States, possibly sharing epizootic cycles via spillover of species-specific variants (Guerra et al, 2003). In California and the central United States, three rabies variants are responsible for this disease in skunks (Krebs et al, 2004).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Rabies Challenge of Captive Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) following Oral Administration of a Live Vaccinia-Vectored Rabies Vaccine

Grosenbaugh¹,

Maki²,

Rupprecht³

et al. 2007

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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ABSTRACT:Twenty-four adult striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were administered the raccoon product formulation of Rabies Vaccine, Live Vaccinia-Vectored (Raboral V-RGH, Merial Limited, Athens, Georgia, USA), either by oral instillation or in vaccine-filled coated sachets either as single or multiple doses. A control group remained unvaccinated. Twentythree of the skunks were challenged 116 days postvaccination with rabies virus (skunk isolate). Six of six naive skunks succumbed to challenge. Four of six skunks that received the vaccine by oral instillation survived challenge. The skunks that did not survive failed to seroconvert following vaccination. None of the skunks that accepted multiple doses of the vaccine offered in coated sachets survived challenge, nor were rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNAs) detected in the sera. Likewise, none of the five skunks ingesting a single sachet developed VNA against rabies. However, in this group one skunk did survive rabies challenge. This preliminary study showed that the vaccinia-vectored oral rabies vaccine Raboral V-RGH, as formulated for use in raccoons, is capable of protecting a percentage of skunks against rabies. However, although the fishmealcoated sachets were readily consumed, subsequent challenge of these animals revealed poor vaccine delivery efficiency.

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“…La infección con virus rábicos ocurre en dos formas epidemiológicas diferentes: a) la rabia urbana, con el perro como principal reservorio y transmisor de la enfermedad a los humanos, y b) la rabia silvestre con especies depredadoras como los felinos y animales como el zorro, el vampiro, el chacal y otros que actúan como reservorios y transmisores principalmente a especies herbívoras. Eventualmente ocurre la transmisión de la rabia entre los dos ciclos epidemiológicos (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9), lo que resalta el riesgo que la enfermedad en cualquier especie animal presenta para los humanos. De las 1.000 especies de murciélagos registradas en el mundo (10), sólo tres se alimentan de sangre de vertebrados (11,12) y habitan exclusivamente en América Latina (13).…”

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