There are only 2-4 human rabies cases in the US each year, but
annual prevention costs are more than $300 million
The Texas Department of Health is using helicopters to spread
100,000 rabies vaccines for skunks in the wilderness; other
states have also conducted similar vaccination efforts
No one knows if such programs are effective or if the
indiscriminate spreading of a pharmaceutical product into the
environment is going to have any unforeseen consequences to
wildlife or the surrounding ecosystem
By Dr. Mercola
In 2009, there were just four human cases of rabies
in the US. In 2010, there were two1…
yet each year the US spends more than $300 million for rabies
prevention,2
which includes the vaccination of companion animals, animal
control programs, maintenance of rabies laboratories and medical
costs.
Even at the turn of the century, rabies-related human deaths
only numbered around 100 annually, and by the 1990s this had
dropped to one or two. While rabies is a serious,
potentially deadly, illness, it is most often transmitted
through the bite of a rabid wild animal – a risk factor that is
negligible for many in the US.
Texas Department of Health is Dropping Experimental Rabies
Vaccines From the Sky
About 92 percent of the reported rabies cases in 2010 were in
wild animals, including raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, rodents
and others. This poses a theoretical risk not only to humans but
also to family pets, which could then transmit rabies to their
owners.
Nonetheless, human rabies cases remain extremely rare … but
efforts are still underway to knock out the rabies virus in wild
skunk populations in Texas.
The Texas Department of Health is actually using helicopters
to spread 100,000 rabies vaccines in two counties. The vaccines,
which are contained in plastic cases coated with fishmeal to
entice wildlife to eat them, are part of a pilot program to help
reduce the number of rabid skunks in the area.
No one knows yet if the program is going to work – skunks
will need to be caught and tested for rabies 30-60 days after
the vaccines are dropped – or if the indiscriminate spreading of
a pharmaceutical product into the environment is going to have
any unforeseen consequences to wildlife or the surrounding
ecosystem.
Should Wildlife be Vaccinated Against a Disease that Infects 2-4
People a Year?
It’s also unclear why Texas is taking such
aggressive measures against rabies. There has so far been only
one reported case of human rabies in Texas in 2013, and
the man was exposed in Guatemala, Mexico -- not in
Texas. The last case of human rabies in Texas prior to that was
in 2009 and prior to that in 2004 – for a total of just 6 human
cases in the last decade.3
For comparison, there were 2,390 cases of campylobacteriosis
in Texas in 2012 alone … an illness largely spread by
contaminated poultry raised on concentrated animal feeding
operations (CAFOs). This illness, too, can be deadly if it
infects a person with a compromised immune system, yet we’re not
hearing about widespread efforts to curb its transmission …
Even if you factor in data from the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), which states there were 6,153
reported cases of rabies in animals in 2010, that’s for animals
in the entire US, and not only skunks but also raccoons, foxes,
bats and others. Texas isn’t the only state to opt for
preventative rabies vaccination of wildlife, either. According
to the Human Society of the United States (HSUS):4
“Federal and state wildlife officials have been
vaccinating wildlife in many regions over the past 15 years.
They distribute vaccine-laden baits that the target animals
eat and thereby vaccinate themselves. Right now, oral rabies
vaccination of wildlife focuses on halting the spread of
specific types of rabies in targeted carrier species. Next,
it’s hoped that this tool can shrink the diseases’ range.”
The end question remains the same, not only for Texas but for
the entire US: is it really necessary to spend $300 million a
year on rabies prevention … and what are the potential
consequences of vaccinating wildlife?
What Exactly is Rabies?
Rabies is a viral disease that most often enters your body
through a bite or wound contaminated by the saliva from an
infected animal. If it manages to infect the central nervous
system it can lead to early symptoms that include fever,
headache, weakness and discomfort. As the disease progresses it
can lead to insomnia, anxiety, confusion, paralysis,
hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, fear of water and death.
If you have been bitten by a wild animal (or a dog with
unknown rabies status), wash the wound thoroughly with soap and
water, as this will help to decrease your risk of infection.
Next, talk to a doctor about your next steps. He or she will
probably contact the local or state health department and, if
it’s deemed that the animal was rabid or at high risk of being
rabid, you may need to start postexposure prophylaxis (PEP),
which consists of a series of vaccines that can protect you from
developing rabies. But remember, though rabies is serious, and
frightening, it’s extremely rare. HSUS puts it into perspective:
“Given all the media attention that rabies regularly
receives, it may be somewhat surprising to learn that very
few people die from rabies nationwide each year. Over the
past 10 years, rabies has killed only a total of 28 people
in the U. S. This amounts to fewer than 3 fatalities a year
nationwide.
People who contracted rabies in the United States
were mostly infected by a bat. Most didn’t even know they
were bitten. Some may have been sleeping when bitten. Others
handled a bat bare-handed without realizing they’d been
potentially exposed to rabies. But don’t panic over every
bat sighting. Less than one-half of one percent of all bats
in North America carries rabies. Although raccoons suffer
from rabies more than any other mammal in the United States
(about 35 percent of all animal rabies cases), only one
human death from the raccoon strain of rabies has been
recorded in the United States.”
What About Rabies Vaccines for Pets?
If you’re wondering about the rabies vaccine for your dog or
cat,
Mercola Healthy Pets with Dr. Karen Becker has a wealth of
information. In many states you can choose either a 1-year or
3-year rabies vaccine for your pet. If you choose a 1-year shot,
or if your state doesn’t offer a 3-year vaccine, the annual
protocol is required by law.
If you have a pet and are not subscribed yet to
Dr. Becker’s awesome
newsletter, you are doing your pet a serious disservice, as
her information is priceless. She simply is one of the best
natural vets in the world. For a very informative interview with
renowned veterinary vaccine expert Dr. Ronald Schultz, see the
video below: “Does
Your Pet Really Need That Rabies Shot?”