There was a rabies case up in Goodwell, Oklahoma the other day. It was a skunk.

As far as I'm concerned, that's too close.

And that was the second for the year in Texas county.

My husband and I in Spearman had rabies shots in February. Stray cat. Lot's of rabies cases in Spearman, most not officially reported. We were lucky enough to have the little cat stay around long enough to get sick and show syptoms. Shots are in the arm, no worse than a flu shot, just several of them.

There have been several rabies cases up here so far. I get a report once a week but usually just glance at it. I know most of them have been in skunks so far.

It might be a good idea to get rid of most of the barn cats around the farm, those we can't catch, and get the few that can be caught vaccinated.

I was vaccinated in vet school and exposed several years ago. My titers are still sky high. I was in an experimental vaccine group in school. Other than the drooling and the barking at the full moon, I think it was a pretty good vaccine.

I came very close to getting the full series of shots back in the early 60s. They waited about as long as they dared before beginning. The day before they were supposed to start, they finally got word back that the cat didn't have rabies.

The doctor told me that I would be strapped to a table while they administered the shots.

That sounded so painful that from then on, when I got bit by anything, I didn't tell my parents.

[This message has been edited by eric76 (edited 5/30/2008 4:15a).]

Eric76 -

Back then, didn't they have a whole series of shots that had be injected directly into your stomach or abdomen? (And wasn't the survivability rate significantly less than 100%, even with the vaccine?) I may be thinking of something else entirely, but that seems to stick in my mind.

I think they actually gave them into the belly button.

quote:

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I was vaccinated in vet school and exposed several years ago. My titers are still sky high.

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The way I mis-read that was a lot funnier than the way you posted it.

That may have been the case as well but I was too tired to notice

There have been a few rabid skunks 'apprehended' in Perryton as of late....


They say this rabies outbreak my be due to a huge bat migration that passed over the area recently (last few years)?!?....

There is another possible effect that may not cause the epidemic, but could sure exacerbate it.

It is so dry out that the skunks are having to go up to houses and barns more than usual to get water.

That makes it easier to run across rabid skunks and a greater chance of exposure to pets and other animals such as barn cats.

We have been endemic for rabies in the state for several years. Mostly skunks and bats but also domestic animals as well. I would always be careful when dealing with anything that seems to be different than what is expected. I had a guy the other day save a den full of baby racoons. That scares the heck out of me. I told him I could not vaccinate them.

We have been endemic for rabies in the state for several years. Mostly skunks and bats but also domestic animals as well. I would always be careful when dealing with anything that seems to be different than what is expected. I had a guy the other day save a den full of baby racoons. That scares the heck out of me. I told him I could not vaccinate them.

Do you mean the whole state or this part of the state?

As I remember, rabies cases are relatively rare in the Texas Panhandle compared to much of the rest of the state.

There is some all over the state but we have had rabies cases up here for a long time. Today marks the 10th case in 2008 and the first case outside of the top row of counties. It was a skunk in Briscoe County. They used to do the oral vaccination program in south Texas but I don't know if that is still going on.

We have rabies cases, but nothing like further south.

In Hansford County itself, most years it doesn't even report one rabies case to the Texas Department of Health. Of course, that could be because there just wasn't any contact. It is interesting that, in general, the more populated counties tend to result in the most tests and find the most cases of rabies.

In Hansford County from 1998 to 2007:
2007 - 1 skunk tested positive. 2 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 other animal tested negative
2006 - no postive tests. 3 dogs, 4 cats, and 5 others tested negative
2005 - 6 skunks, 1 dog, and 2 horses tested positive. 1 skunk, 1 dog, 4 cats, 9 cattle, and 1 other tested negative
2004 - no positive tests. 1 skunk, 2 racoons, 1 dog, 1 cat, and 2 horses tested negative
2003 - no positive tests. 1 calf tested negative
2002 - no positive tests. 1 skunk, 1 dog, and 1 calf tested negative
2001 - no positive tests. 2 raccoons, 5 dogs, 1 cat, 2 cattle, and 1 horse tested negative.
2000 - no positive tests. 2 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 horse tested negative.
1999 - no positive tests. 1 racoon, 2 dogs, and 1 cat tested negative.
1998 - no positive tests. 1 coyote, 2 dogs, and 1 calf tested negative.

Two more cases this week. A dog in Dumas and a skunk in Clarendon. It is so dry al lot of animals are coming in to town for water. Also, more animals at the same watering hole means fights and transmission. I hope my experimantal aggie titers are still protective.