Rabies confirmed in cattle

A cow and a calf north of Sparta on two separate farms have been infected with confirmed cases of rabies in the past two weeks, according to a public health alert released Monday by the Appalachian District Health Department.

The two cases both were lab confirmed, said Eva Wooten, public health nursing supervisor for the Alleghany District Health Department. Wooten said the exact location of the farms is not being released.

In 2006, six Alleghany animal specimens were submitted to the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health for rabies testing. All six tests proved negative.

"All 100 North Carolina counties submitted animals for testing," commented Wooten. "However, only 77 of the 100 counties had specimens which tested positive for rabies. Over the years in North Carolina, not all counties have had positive animal tests every year." Even so, Wooten noted that the lack of a positive test does not mean that rabies is not present somewhere in the county. "It simply means it was not confirmed in any of the animals tested," she said.

Rabies is a viral disease that almost always leads to death. The last human rabies case recorded in North Carolina took place in 1953. Anyone exposed to a potentially rabid animal should seek treatment immediately. The victim should then call 911 and ask for assistance from animal control or other authorities in capturing or killing the animal. If the victim chooses to kill the animal, it should not be shot in the head since the brain needs to be tested at the laboratory to confirm rabies.

"An animal with the rabies disease can pass it on to another animal or a person by biting them," Wooten said. "That is because rabid animals have the virus in their saliva or drool."

If the virus gains entry into the body, it attacks the brain and spinal cord, leading to death within days. Animals which contract rabies develop unusual behavior—wild animals may appear tame and unafraid, while tame animals may appear wild. Infected animals typically have trouble walking and frequently foam at the mouth.

Infected cattle generally become restless and aggressive, frequently banging their heads into fences, posts, trees and other solid objects. They often bellow frequently and loudly; may develop weakness in the legs; and appear to be choking.

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