Rabies cases reported on the rise in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An unusually high number of rabid animals has been reported in Missouri so far this year, prompting the state to issue a public health advisory.

The Department of Health and Senior Services said Wednesday that 18 animals had tested positive for rabies as of May 23, compared to six during the same period a year ago.

Rabies reports typically rise in the spring, summer and fall as people and pets spend more time outside where they can encounter wild animals, said Dr. Howard Pue, the state public health veterinarian.

State health officials are concerned because Missouri's early rabies reports are three times higher than 2004, and last year's total number of 59 cases was nearly two-thirds higher than the average annual total for the previous 10 years.

"The number of rabies cases in animals in Missouri is climbing, and this year appears to be shaping up to be a bad one," Pue said. "We need everyone in the public health, medical and veterinary communities to be aware of this and ready to respond to potential rabies cases in their area."

Rabies is a viral disease of mammals that affects the central nervous system and ultimately can cause death. It typically is transmitted through bites by infected animals, the most common of which include bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Early symptoms in humans can include fever, headache and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms can include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, partial paralysis, hallucinations, excessive salivation and difficulty swallowing.

Pue encouraged people to have their pets vaccinated for rabies. He said children should be reminded not to touch or play with wild animals and to stay away from stray domestic animals, especially those appearing wounded or ill.

People bitten by animals feared to have rabies can receive a series of shots intended to prevent the onset of the disease. But there is no treatment once a person develops symptoms of rabies, Pue said.

More than 100 people annually died of rabies in the early 1900s, but the preventive treatments had reduced that to one or two people annually by the end of the century, the CDC said.

The Missouri rabies cases reported so far were in nine bats, eight skunks and one horse. The skunks all came from the southern half of the state, including three in Howell County. Four of the rabid bats were in St. Louis County, with one each in St. Louis city and Buchanan, Jackson, Boone and Iron counties. The rabid horse was in Douglas County.

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On the Net:

Rabies: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies