ABSTRACT OF THE WEEK

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Volume 261 | Issue 7 (July 2023)

Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2021.

J Am Vet Med Assoc. July 2023;261(7):1045 - 1053.

Xiaoyue Ma¹, Sarah Bonaparte², Patrick Corbett³, Lillian A Orciari⁴, Crystal M Gigante⁵, Jordona D Kirby⁶, Richard B Chipman⁷, Christine Fehlner-Gardiner⁸, Cin Thang⁹, Veronica Gutiérrez Cedillo¹⁰, Nidia Aréchiga Ceballos¹¹, Agam Rao¹², Ryan M Wallace¹³

¹ 1Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA.; ² 1Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA.; ³ 2Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA.; ⁴ 1Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA.; ⁵ 1Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA.; ⁶ 3Wildlife Services, APHIS, USDA, Concord, NH.; ⁷ 3Wildlife Services, APHIS, USDA, Concord, NH.; ⁸ 4Centre of Expertise for Rabies, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; ⁹ 4Centre of Expertise for Rabies, Ottawa Laboratory-Fallowfield, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, ON, Canada.; ¹⁰ 5Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades, Secretaria de Salud de México, CDMX, México.; ¹¹ 6Laboratorio de Rabia, Departamento de Virología, Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos, Secretaría de Salud de México, CDMX, México.; ¹² 1Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA.; ¹³ 1Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta, GA.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To provide epidemiological information on the occurrence of animal and human rabies in the US during 2021 and summaries of 2021 rabies surveillance for Canada and Mexico.

PROCEDURES:State and territorial public health departments and USDA Wildlife Services provided data on animals submitted for rabies testing in 2021. Data were analyzed temporally and geographically to assess trends in domestic animal and wildlife rabies cases.

RESULTS:During 2021, 54 US jurisdictions reported 3,663 rabid animals, representing an 18.2% decrease from the 4,479 cases reported in 2020. Texas (n = 456 [12.4%]), Virginia (297 [8.1%]), Pennsylvania (287 [7.8%]), North Carolina (248 [6.8%]), New York (237 [6.5%]), California (220 [6.0%]), and New Jersey (201 [5.5%]) together accounted for > 50% of all animal rabies cases reported in 2021. Of the total reported rabid animals, 3,352 (91.5%) involved wildlife, with bats (n = 1,241 [33.9%]), raccoons (1,030 [28.1%]), skunks (691 [18.9%]), and foxes (314 [8.6%]) representing the primary hosts confirmed with rabies. Rabid cats (216 [5.9%]), cattle (40 [1.1%]), and dogs (36 [1.0%]) accounted for 94% of rabies cases involving domestic animals in 2021. Five human rabies deaths were reported in 2021.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE:The number of animal rabies cases reported in the US decreased significantly during 2021; this is thought to be due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Article Tools:

Medline

Email to me

Comments:

Comment In J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2023 Nov 01;261(11):1605-1606

Archives Highlights:

Clinical characterization of a novel episodic ataxia in young working Cocker Spaniels.
The mean age at clinical onset was 4 months. Signs were acute and included episodic body swaying, titubation, cerebellar ataxia, wide-base stance, and hypermetria, all while mentation remained unaltered. Duration of episodes ranged from 30 minutes up to 24 hours, and their frequency varied from weekly to once every 5 months.

Case Series: Computed Tomography Features of Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma in Six Dogs.
Although the presence of intralesional mineralization is not a pathognomonic finding, it was consistently identified in the present case series. Therefore, exOSA should be considered in the differential diagnosis when mineralization occurs in a mass unrelated to osseous structures.

Transmucosal administration of pentobarbital and phenytoin solution induces euthanasia in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).
An initial dose of euthanasia solution containing pentobarbital and phenytoin sodium was administered transmucosally in conscious lizards (100 mg/kg pentobarbital dose), followed by a second dose 20 minutes later (400 mg/kg pentobarbital dose). The median time to death was 300 minutes (range, 300 to 360 minutes), median time to respiratory arrest was 30 minutes (range, 30 to 50 minutes), and median time to loss of deep pain response was 30 minutes (range, 20 to 50 minutes). Signs consistent with oral irritation occurred in 4 of 6 (66.7%) lizards, including 2 lizards that exhibited whole-body spasms after euthanasia solution administration.

Lightning deaths in three outdoor dogs: A case study.
The three dogs were found close to each other, under a truck with a series of damages, such as burning of the tyres, the electrical control unit, and the trailer's ABS control unit.

Investigating the Reasons behind Companion Animal Relinquishment: A Systematic Content Analysis of Shelter Records for Cats and Dogs, 2018-2023.
The most frequent reasons cited were Behavior Issues (28%), Housing/Moving (18%), Unable to Care (16%), Too Many Pets (10%), Financial (6%), and Owner Allergies (5%). The most common behavioral reasons reported were Aggression (32% of behavioral surrenders), Social Conflict (28%), and Soiling (13%).