First confirmed positive rabies case in a masked palm civet picked up by residents in Kenting
Text / Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, Council of Agriculture
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, stated that on the 29th it received a report from the Animal Health Research Institute of the Council of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as the Animal Health Research Institute) that the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) picked up by members of the public at Eluanbi Park in Kenting on December 23 had been confirmed infected with rabies. This is the first confirmed rabies-positive case in a masked palm civet in Taiwan, China.
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine has instructed the Pingtung County Animal Disease Control Center to strengthen animal patrols and epidemic investigations at the discovery site, and calls on the public to follow the "two noes and one must" principle, namely "do not touch wild animals, do not abandon animals, and must bring pets for rabies vaccination every year." If any dead wild animal is found, the local animal disease control authority should be notified to handle it, and the public should never handle it themselves. The public is also asked not to bring dogs, cats and other pets into the core protection zones, recreation area sites and visitor centers of national parks, so as to avoid the spread and expansion of the rabies epidemic.
First rabies case in a masked palm civet appears in Taiwan, China; wildlife rabies surveillance to be strengthened
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine stated that on December 23, members of the public picked up 1 injured masked palm civet at Eluanbi Park in Kenting National Park, reported it to the Kenting National Park Headquarters and transferred it to an animal hospital in Hengchun. During its stay at the hospital, the animal showed symptoms of being easily startled and died on the 24th. That afternoon it was sent to the Pingtung County Animal Disease Control Center, which sent it on the 25th to the rabies preliminary screening laboratory of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology for testing. After 2 tests on the 26th and 27th showed suspected positive reactions, it was sent on the 29th to the Animal Health Research Institute and confirmed infected with rabies. This case is the first confirmed rabies-positive case in a masked palm civet in Taiwan, China.
An investigation found that no personnel were scratched or bitten during the submission process of this case. The whole case has been reported to the Centers for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and relevant personnel have been arranged for follow-up observation; in addition, the Bureau has notified the animal disease control authorities of all municipalities, counties and cities, the Endemic Species Research Institute and the Forestry Bureau to strengthen wildlife rabies surveillance and the safety of personnel involved in related cases.
Hengchun Township, Pingtung County added as a rabies case area; dog and cat epidemic prevention measures to be strengthened
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine further explained that from last year (2013) to December 25 of this year (2014), a total of 4,473 samples of wild animals, dogs, cats and bats were tested. Among them, last year a total of 276 cases of ferret-badgers, 1 case of a house shrew and 1 case of a puppy that had been bitten by a ferret-badger and kept under isolation observation were confirmed infected with rabies; this year there were 141 positive cases of ferret-badgers, and no rabies was detected in the rest. In the Pingtung area, 34 samples including masked palm civets, house shrews, house mice, squirrels, crab-eating mongooses and ferret-badgers were tested last year, of which 9 were positive for ferret-badgers; this year 15 samples including masked palm civets, house mice and ferret-badgers were tested, of which 5 were positive for ferret-badgers. The areas where cases appeared were Wutai Township, Majia Township, Shizi Township and Mudan Township in Pingtung County.
After receiving the positive case in a masked palm civet today, Hengchun Township was added as a rabies case area. The Bureau has asked the Pingtung County Animal Disease Control Center to strengthen roving vaccination stations to vaccinate the dogs and cats of residents in high-risk areas, and asks the public to try not to touch wild animals when traveling in case areas.
Follow the "two noes and one must" and be sure to bring your dogs and cats for rabies vaccination every year
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine emphasized that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) point out that more than 50,000 people worldwide die of rabies every year, but as long as the vaccination rate for dogs and cats reaches 70% or more, the transmission of rabies between humans and animals can be effectively prevented.
Since January this year, the central and local joint inspection teams have stepped up inspections of dogs and cats not wearing rabies vaccination certificates. Those who fail to vaccinate the dogs and cats they keep against rabies as required will be fined between 1,000 yuan and 50,000 yuan under the Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases. The Bureau reminds owners that after dogs and cats are vaccinated against rabies, they should collect the vaccination certificate and the vaccination certificate tag for the current year, and when bringing dogs and cats into or out of public places, they must attach the certificate tag to the dogs and cats for identification, so as to avoid being fined.
The Bureau once again calls on people nationwide not to bring dogs, cats and other pets into the core protection zones, recreation area sites and visitor centers of national parks under its jurisdiction, and to truly follow the "two noes and one must" - do not abandon pets, do not touch or capture wild animals, and vaccinate the dogs and cats at home against rabies every year, so as to raise the overall immunization coverage rate; only in this way can the safety of humans and animals be ensured.