The Epinhood (TEH)

RABIES (24): AMERICAS (CANADA, USA) AUSTRALIA, HUMAN EXPOSURE, BATS,
CATS, WILDLIFE

A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
Australia
[1] Queensland: human exposure while traveling
Canada
[2] Ontario (Hamilton): bats
USA
[3] Virginia (Halifax County): cat, human exposure
[4] Georgia (Gwinnett County): cat, human exposure
[5] Georgia (Troup County): fox, cat
[6] Maine (Cumberland County): raccoon, skunks, bats, fox, woodchuck

Australia
[1] Queensland: human exposure while traveling
Date: Mon 5 Jun 2023
Source: Vax Before Travel [edited] https://www.vaxbeforetravel.com/2023/06/05/116-queenslanders-returned-rabies

Queensland Health recently reported the number of potential rabies
exposures in returned travelers has increased in 2023, with 116
Queenslanders potentially exposed to the deadly virus this year.

Chief Health Officer Dr. John Gerrard said in a government press
release on 1 Jun 2023, “It is important to seek advice from your
doctor or a travel health clinic about the best way to protect
yourself before heading overseas, especially if you are traveling to a
country where rabies is present.”

“For humans, rabies can be deadly — once symptoms develop, it’s
almost always fatal,” Dr Gerrard added.

Unfortunately, almost 60 000 people worldwide die from rabies
annually. The risk of rabies infection varies depending on the country
you visit and what activities are planned while abroad. While the
pre-exposure rabies vaccine can effectively prevent infection, an
additional course of post-exposure rabies vaccines may be required in
these circumstances.

Rabies is a virus which can be transmitted to humans through the bite
or scratch of an infected animal or by being exposed to infected
animals’ saliva through the eyes, nose, mouth, or broken skin.

In the United States, bat bites generate more rabies infections than
dogs. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently
updated its recommendations for rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis for
humans, replacing the 3-dose vaccination schedule with a 2-dose
program. Several rabies vaccines are available worldwide in 2023.