2005 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
- Rabies Distribution
- Rabies in Bats
- Human Exposures to Rabid Animals
- New York City
- Rabies Serology
- 2005 Raccoon Rabies Map (GIF 48k)
- 2005 Bat Rabies Map (GIF 43k)
- 2005 Rabies Incidence Map (PDF 130k)
- Additional 2005 Rabies Data
Introduction
The raccoon rabies outbreak that moved into Nassau County on Long Island in 2004 persisted there in 2005, and remained enzootic in nearly all of the rest of New York State during the year. Terrestrial wildlife rabies brings with it the constant risk of encounters with rabid animals in affected areas. Since 1990 New York State has been affected by this outbreak of rabies in raccoons that has swept from Florida to Maine, and threatens to spread westward in the United States. Rabies is a cyclic, density-dependent disease in raccoon populations. Mortality from rabies reduces raccoon population densities in affected areas. As raccoon populations rebound, rabies incidence increases again. Thus in New York, we now have a pattern of increasing and waning rabies prevalence in areas across the state. Only two New York State counties (Franklin and Suffolk) have not experienced documented raccoon rabies within their borders. However, towns contiguous with both of these counties have experienced rabies in raccoons. In addition to raccoons, this variant of rabies virus can infect a wide range of other mammals, including humans.
Rabies Distribution
There were 565 rabid animals identified at the Wadsworth Center laboratory in 2005, constituting 6.7% of all animals examined here, as the laboratory tested a total of 8,318 animals during the year. The number of animals received for testing during the year is within 1% of the submission average for the previous three year period and continues the pattern established in the mid 1990s of the laboratory receiving between 8,000 and 10,000 specimens annually. Specimens were received from all of the 57 counties in New York State and the five boroughs of New York City during 2005. Rabies was identified in terrestrial mammals submitted from 51 of the 62 counties in New York State. Rabies in bats, also with a widespread occurrence in the state, was identified in 33 counties.
The 8,318 specimens received in 2005 consisted of 5,924 wild animals (71% of total) and 2,394 (29%) domestic animals, including greater than 50 species of animals. The 3,856 bats received comprised 46.4% of all animals tested. Bats were submitted from all counties and boroughs. The Wadsworth Center laboratory also tested 1,440 cats (17.3% of all animals tested), 1,127 raccoons (13.5%), 706 dogs (8.5%), 279 skunks (3.4%), 182 foxes (2.1%), 124 deer (1.5%), 93 woodchucks (1.1%), 91 cattle (1.1%), 49 horses (0.6%), 32 goats (0.4%) and 261 other wild animals (3.1%).
The number of each taxa found rabid and the positivity rate (number positive/number examined) for each is: mule, 1 (100%), beaver, 1 (50% ), hoary bat, 2(33%), skunk, 86 (30.8%), raccoons, 334 (29.6% ) gray fox, 21 (16.9%), red bat, 3 (12.5%), bovine 9 (9.8%), coyote, 1 (6.6%), red fox, 3 (5.2%), horse, 2 (4.0%), woodchuck, 3 (3.2%), big brown bat, 67 (2.3%), deer, 2 (1.6%), cat, 21 (1.4%) little brown bat, 6 (0.7%) and dog 1 (0.1%).
Rabies in Bats
The 80 rabid bats identified in the state in 2005 were the smallest number since 1997, and 17 below the average for the last ten years. The positivity rate for all bats submitted in 2005 was 2.1%, the lowest overall rate for more than 20 years, and appreciably lower than the 3.1% average for the previous 10 year period. Nonetheless, with one in 50 to one in 30 examined bats found rabid from year to year, an emphasis on avoidance of direct contact with bats and proper management of human and animal encounters with bats is strongly justified.
Human Exposures to Rabid Animals
In 23.5% of the animal rabies cases there was a recognized human exposure, as there were 47 bites to humans and an additional 86 other direct human contacts reported with the 565 laboratory-confirmed rabid animals. In 52.3% of the cases there was exposure to domestic animals. The highest rate of human exposure (80.5%) occurred to the 21 rabid gray foxes, which included 15 bites and two direct contacts. Among the 80 rabid bats identified in 2005, there were 12 bites to humans and 9 other direct contacts, for a human exposure rate of 26%. Pet exposure occurred with 29% of the rabid bats. There were 6 humans bitten and 44 humans in contact with the 334 rabid raccoons, resulting in a 15% exposure rate. In contrast, pet exposure, primarily in dogs, occurred with 53.3% of the rabid raccoons.
New York City
The rabies diagnostic laboratory at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene examined 528 specimens, including 156 raccoons, 136 cats, 117 dogs, 52 bats, 47 opossum, 12 skunks, 2 squirrels, 2 ferrets, 2 muskrats, 1 rabbit and 1 deer. Among these, 28 (5.3%) were positive for rabies, including 23 raccoons, 3 skunks and 2 bats.
Rabies Serology
The Wadsworth Center rabies laboratory tested 2,179 human sera for rabies virus neutralizing antibody. The majority of these tests are requested to determine the need for booster vaccinations for individuals wishing to maintain current rabies pre-exposure immunization status. The laboratory also examined 2,806 raccoon sera for rabies antibody, in support of programs for the oral rabies vaccination (ORV) of raccoon populations.
(New York City Health Department data provided by Drs. Igbal Poshni and Judy Lovchik.)