Translocation of a Stray Cat Infected with Rabies from North Carolina to a Terrestrial Rabies-Free County in Ohio, 2017

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Singh, Amber J. ; Chipman, Richard B. ; de Fijter, Sietske ; Gary, Richard ; Haskell, Marilyn G. ; Kirby, Jordona ; Yu, Li ; Condori, Rene E. ; Orciari, Lillian ; Wallace, Ryan
• Description:
  On July 24, 2017, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) was notified of a positive rabies test result from a domestic cat in Summit County, a county considered free from terrestrial rabies. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) of raccoons, in the form of consumable bait, is conducted each year along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border to prevent the westward expansion of the raccoon rabies Virus Variants (RVV). In the United States, several distinct rabies Virus Variantss exist; raccoon RVV is enzootic along the eastern parts of the United States (from Florida to Maine), including several counties in northeast Ohio (1). Animal rabies vaccination is protective against all rabies Virus Variantss. The rabid cat (cat A) was located west of the ORV barrier, raising concern that it had acquired the infection from a raccoon and suggTesting a possible breach in the ORV barrier (Figure 1). ODH initiated an investigation to identify persons and animals exposed to the rabid cat during its viral shedding period and collaborated with CDC to determine the likely origin of the Virus (Figure 2). Public health investigators later discovered that the cat originated in North Carolina. Phylogenetic Analysis confirmed that the Virus was most similar to the raccoon RVV that circulates in North Carolina (Figure 3); therefore, this ORV breach was likely the result of human-mediated movement of a rabid animal rather than natural expansion of the raccoon rabies Virus enzootic area. This report summarizes the investigation and highlights the importance of owner compliance regarding rabies vaccination.
• Subjects:
  Administration, Oral Animals Cat Diseases Cats Female Full Report Humans Public Health Surveillance Rabies Rabies Vaccines Rabies Virus Travel

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• Source:
  MMWR Morbidity Mortal Weekly Rep. 67(42):1174-1177
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6742a2
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Pubmed ID:
  30359345
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC6290815
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; Ohio
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Volume:
  67
• Issue:
  42
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d9c58ffa00a91a95d887ef4eb094942d1191f0dde793a9b20c28356e6dde1e6591b2293b8a269df1236b487d228bba399a0149df3189680e9b9f047a3baa0a30
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/61546/cdc_61546_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 226.73 KB ]