The outbreak of wildlife rabies in Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania (1), and the District of Columbia (2)
continues
(Table 1). Over 75% of the animals reported rabid in the
mid-Atlantic
area have been raccoons; other affected wildlife include: skunks,
bats, foxes, and groundhogs, in decreasing order of frequency.
Cases
have also occurred in dogs, cats, and cattle, suggesting that
"spillover" has occurred from rabid wildlife into domestic animals.
Within the affected area, the number of raccoons reported rabid
has increased in recent years as follows: 1977--1, 1978--3,
1979--12,
1980--21, 1981--132, 1982--837. As of February 14, 1983, nine
cases
had been reported in Washington, D.C., since October 1982.
Northeastern Virginia/western Maryland remains the area of greatest
involvement, but the outbreak continues to radiate from its
original
focus on the Virginia/West Virginia border. The outbreak area has
increased by approximately 25-50 miles per year. New Jersey and
Delaware now appear as the most likely states into which the
outbreak
may spread.
No adequate control methods have been found for rabies in
wildlife. Domestic-pet rabies immunization programs and public
education programs have been intensified to reduce the risk of
human
exposure. No human rabies has been associated with this outbreak.
Reported by EJ Witte, VMD, CW Hays, MD, State Epidemiologist,
Pennsylvania State Dept of Health; GB Miller Jr, MD, State
Epidemiologist, Virginia State Dept of Health; LE Haddy, MS, Acting
State Epidemiologist, West Virginia State Dept of Health; ME Levy,
MD,
State Epidemiologist, District of Columbia Dept of Human Svcs; E
Israel MD, State Epidemiologist, Maryland State Dept of Health and
Mental Hygiene; Div of Viral Diseases, Center for Infectious
Diseases,
CDC.
CDC. Rabies--mid-Atlantic states. MMWR 1982;31:592-3.
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