2002 Rabies Annual Summary
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Director, Rabies Laboratory
Richard Raczkowski:
Asst. Director, Rabies Laboratory
518-869-4527
Please contact us (518-869-4527) for data tables and image maps in an alternate format.
- Introduction
- Specimens Tested
- Rabies in Wildlife
- Rabies in Domestic Animals
- Bat Rabies
- Serologic Examinations
- 2002 Raccoon Rabies Map (GIF 30K)
- 2002 Bat Rabies Map (GIF 31K)
- 2002 Rabies Incidence Map(PDF 81K)
- Additional 2002 Rabies Data
Introduction
Rabies remained a widely-distributed enzootic disease of terrestrial mammals and bats in New York State in 2002. The raccoon variant of rabies virus was diagnosed in animals from 50 of the 57 counties outside of New York City, and in the Bronx. The positivity rate of submitted raccoons was 42.0% in 2002, and was unchanged from the average of the previous 5 years (42.8%). Rabid bats were identified in 40 counties outside of New York City and in Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Specimens Tested
There were 8481 specimens submitted for rabies diagnosis in 2002. This is the lowest number of specimens submitted since 1995 and is a 10.9% reduction from the average of the previous 5 years. In comparison to 2001 there were 9.0% fewer submissions of specimens with no reported human contact. In contrast, there was a 1.0% reduction in the submission of specimens where a human had been potentially exposed to rabies. This suggests selectively reduced submission of non-essential specimens for disease surveillance. Specimens were submitted from all 57 counties outside of New York City.
Although specimen submissions were below average for much of the year, the summer submission rate actually rose. During July and August 2002, 3722 specimens were submitted for rabies diagnosis. This represents 44.0% of the total specimens tested for the year. The average for the same period in the previous 5 years was 3606 which represented 37.0% of annual totals. Fifty-four species of animals were submitted for rabies diagnosis in 2002. Domestic species comprised 32.1% (2725) and wild species 67.9% (5756) of all tested. Bat specimens comprised the largest single category for the fifth consecutive year with a total of 3827 received, representing 45.1% of all animals tested in 2002. The laboratories also examined 1675 cats (19.6% of all animals tested), 802 raccoons (9.5%), 767 dogs (9.0%), 403 skunks (4.8%), 389 rodents and lagomorphs (4.6%), 189 foxes (2.2%), 114 cattle (1.3%) and 80 other domestic animals (0.90%).
Rabies in Wildlife
Rabid wildlife accounted for 93.4% (684) of the total rabies cases this year. This consisted of 355 raccoons (52.0% of all rabid wildlife), 176 skunks (25.8%), 102 bats (14.9%), 38 foxes (5.6%), 8 woodchucks (1.2%) and 5 white-tail deer (0.70%). The five rabid deer is the largest number identified in the state since 1993. The 82 deer submitted to the laboratory is the largest number tested since 1994 and is 52.0% higher than the average of the previous five years. This increase in submitted deer is largely due to increased surveillance in the state for chronic wasting disease of cervids. The selective testing of deer showing neurological symptoms, examined first for rabies infection, was potentially responsible for the 6.1% rabies positivity rate among submitted deer. This rate of rabies infection among submitted deer was seen previously only in 1992 and 1993, at the peak of the raccoon rabies outbreak.
Rabies in Domestic Animals
Rabies infections were identified in 48 domestic animals in 2002, including 31 cats (64.6% of all cases in domestic species), 12 cattle (25.0%), 3 dogs (6.3%) and 2 horses (4.1%). The high proportion of rabid cats continues to punctuate the concerns regarding the need for cat vaccinations. The three rabid dogs is the highest number of positive dogs in the state since 1997. Two of the three dogs were unvaccinated puppies of 7 weeks and 7 months of age. Two of the three dogs bit their owners.
Rabies in Bats
The 3827 bats tested at the Wadsworth Center in 2002 is the third highest number of bats tested in any one year in New York State and is 10.0% higher than the average number of bats tested in the previous five year period. These specimens were comprised of 2703 big brown bats (70.6% of all bats tested) and 956 little brown bats (25.0%). Ten hoary bats, 38 red bats, 12 silver-haired and 43 pipistrelle bats also were received for testing. Among all bats tested 1321 (34.5%) either had direct contact with a human or potentially exposed a human to rabies by being found inside a dwelling occupied by humans. The number of bats in contact with dogs or cats was 1138 or 29.7% of all bats tested.
The 99 rabid bats diagnosed at the Wadsworth Center during 2002 included 86 big brown bats, 7 little brown bats, 2 hoary bats, 1 red bat and three freetail bats submitted from Texas as part of a collaborative study. Overall, the rabies positivity rate in bats was 2.6% of all bats submitted, 3.2% of all big brown bats submitted and 0.70% of little brown bats submitted. These numbers continue to reflect a trend seen in previous years where the positivity rate among bats has declined. The averages for the previous five years show 3.1% of all bats, 4.1% of big brown bats and 0.79% of little brown bats submitted for testing were found to be rabid. National guidelines call for the testing of bats found inside human dwellings. This increased testing has made larger the denominator in the equation of rabid bats/submitted bats, thereby lowering the positivity rate of all bats tested.
Serologic Examinations
The Wadsworth Center rabies laboratory performed serologic assays for rabies neutralizing antibody on 1974 human samples during the year. These tests are done to help determine the adequacy of response to rabies vaccination and the timing of booster vaccination. The laboratory also received 799 raccoon serum samples, done in support of state and Federal programs for wildlife rabies vaccination.
(New York City data provided by Dr. Igbal Poshni, Director, Virus Laboratory, New York City Department of Health)