USA (West Virginia): rabies outbreak imported from Florida------------------------------------
Millions of dollars are spent every year trapping, testing, and vaccinatingWest Virginia raccoons. 30 years ago, rabies was unusual in West Virginia.Then some hunters decided Hardy County was running low on raccoons. Theybrought some from Florida to stock up the place. At least, that's thegovernment's theory. The culprits were never traced. But in 1977, WestVirginia suddenly had its 1st case of raccoon rabies. Those imported HardyCounty raccoons are now to blame for a rabies epizootic (animal epidemic)that stretches from Canada to North Carolina. Rabies spread upward fromFlorida too, and the 2 outbreaks met in the middle. Raccoon rabies nowblankets the eastern seaboard. (continued...http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2006111831 )
No comments:
Post a Comment