2008 Rabies Annual Summary

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• 2008 Raccoon Rabies Map (GIF 888K)
• 2008 Bat Rabies Map (GIF 31K)
• 2008 Rabies Incidence Map (PDF 35K)
• Additional 2008 Rabies Data

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The Wadsworth Center's Rabies Laboratory diagnosed 498 rabid animals out of 9,345 animals tested (5.3%) in 2008. The number and percentage positive for each species were: 263 raccoons, (15.2%) 112 bats (2.6%), 63 skunks (24.2%), 24 cats (1.6%), 13 gray foxes (31.7%), 7 red foxes (11.1%), 6 bovine (9.6%), 4 woodchucks (4.2%), 2 deer (1.9%), 1 horse (2.6%), 1 dog (0.1%), 1 rabbit (5.0%), and 1 coyote (8.3%).

The number of specimens tested in 2008 is close to the average tested for the previous decade, approximately 9,000 animals per year, and this plateau of specimen submission is consistent with widespread enzootic raccoon and bat rabies throughout New York State. In 2008, raccoon rabies was reported in 49 counties, and bat rabies was reported in 44 New York counties.

The laboratory continued to test a wide variety of animal species this year. There were 50 different species of animals tested, and wild animals represented the majority of submissions (6,956 or 74.4 %) compared to domestic animals (2,389 or 25.6%). The number and percentage of animals tested in 2008 were: 4,357 bats (46.6%), 1,720 raccoons (18.4%), 1,478 cats (15.8%), 708 dogs (7.6%), 373 other wild species (3.8%), 260 skunks (2.8%), 240 rodents and lagomorphs (2.5%), 109 foxes (1.2%), 103 deer (1.1%), 91 other domestic animals (0.93%), 62 cattle (0.66%), and 38 horses (0.40%). In 35% of all animals tested, there was exposure to humans via a bite or contact with saliva or nervous tissue.

The large number of bats tested during 2008 reflects the response to the 1999 pubic health initiative to reduce the number of people receiving unnecessary post-exposure prophylaxis for exposures to bats. In the nine years since 1999, the rabies lab tested an average of 4,070 bats per year (4,357 in 2008). This is more than double the yearly average of 1,947 bats tested during the decade preceding 1999. The cost of the additional testing is greatly compensated for by preventing unnecessary post-exposure prophylaxis, which is very costly and in limited supply. In 2008 alone, the laboratory tested 1,811 bats that had contacts with humans, and over 97% of these bats were negative for rabies. Thus, this testing prevented 1,768 unnecessary post-exposure prophylaxes and accurately confirmed rabies exposure and resulted in treatment for 43 individuals.

The laboratory tested seven different bat species in 2008, and overall 2.6% of all bats tested were diagnosed with rabies virus. The number and percentage positive for rabies virus varied depending on the bat species: 98 of 3,158 big brown bats (3.1%), 6 of 918 little brown bats (0.65%), one of 13 silver-haired bats (7.7%), 0 of 15 red bats, 1 of 176 unidentified (0.56 %), 5 of 6 hoary bats (83.3%), 1 of 64 northern long-eared bat (1.5%) and 0 of 8 eastern pipistrelle bats.

Other activities of the Wadsworth Center's Rabies Laboratory included serology and virus typing. The laboratory tested 1,529 human sera for rabies virus neutralizing antibody. These tests generally are performed to determine the need for booster vaccinations for individuals wishing to maintain current rabies pre-exposure vaccination status. The laboratory also examined 3,003 raccoon sera for rabies antibody in support of wildlife oral rabies vaccination programs (ORV). The laboratory performed 88 virus- variant typing assays using a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against the rabies virus nucleocapsid protein. These analyses further our understanding of rabies epizootiology in the state.

During 2008, the Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene examined 734 specimens: 315 raccoons, 178 cats, 80 dogs, 69 opossum, 49 bats, 34 skunks, 6 muskrats, 2 squirrels and 1 monkey. Among these animals 19 (2.6%) were positive for rabies, including 9 raccoons, 1 cat, 7 skunks and 2 bats.

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For more information visit the rabies laboratory website at:
www.wadsworth.org/rabies

New York City Public Health Laboratory data provided by Dr. Jie Fu and Brooke Bregman.