A free-roaming deer in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle has tested positive for rabies, raising fears of a potential outbreak.
As reported by WBOY, the Hampshire County Health Department received notification from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture regarding the positive case, signaling the likelihood of more infected animals in the area.
A white-tailed deer is seen eating leaves in front of a home in Bethesda, Maryland on May 27, 2020, while joggers and bikers go by and practice social distancing on Capital Crescent trail which connects Bethesda, Maryland to Washington DC. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP)
Health Department Issues Urgent Warning
"As hunting season has begun across West Virginia. It is important for hunters to remember that all mammals, including white-tailed deer, are susceptible to rabies," the county health department wrote on Facebook.
The confirmation comes amidst the ongoing hunting season in West Virginia, and the health department urges hunters to remain vigilant. All mammals are susceptible to rabies, which can be transmitted through saliva and blood.
To prevent contracting the disease while hunting, the health department recommends including disposable gloves in hunting gear, wearing gloves when field dressing or butchering mammals, and washing hands thoroughly afterward.
Additionally, hunters are advised not to consume animals that appear abnormal and to report neurologic deer to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
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Signs to Watch Out for
As West Virginia enters archery and crossbow season for white-tailed deer, with firearm season set to begin in 51 counties on Nov. 20, awareness of rabies symptoms is crucial. Signs that a deer might be infected include balance problems, aggression, lack of fear, and excessive salivation.
In a related study published in Trop Med Infect Dis, a unique case of rabies in a white-tailed deer in Mexico raises further concerns. The Santo Domingo ranch in Catazajá, Chiapas, reported the first documented case of rabies in white-tailed deer in Mexico.
Traditionally associated with warm-blooded animals like dogs, bats, and humans, rabies in deer is unexpected and poses challenges in diagnosis.
The Mexican study emphasizes the difficulties in obtaining a rabies diagnosis in animals and highlights the need for routine testing in those exhibiting neurological symptoms.
The absence of enough public health policies to contain the disease in animals suggests a potential gap in awareness among farmers and communities. The study underscores human health risks and economic losses without proper policies and routine testing.
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