Posts Tagged ‘rabies’

Travel Bulletin Bali: Rabies Outbreak

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 by

This week The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory for anyone traveling to the island of Bali to take precautions against rabies; the disease has been uncomfortably common in the area since December 2008. Specifically the CDC is reminding travelers that the following activities may be risky:

  • Working closely with animals of unknown rabies exposure or vaccination history
  • Spending a lot of time in a rural area or participating in outdoor activities such as bicycling, camping, or hiking – activities which increase the risk for coming in contact with animals
  • Touching or playing with animals
  • Adopting animals with the intention of bringing them home to the United States

The CDC is advising travelers to consider a rabies vaccine if they are likely to encounter animals such as dogs, cats and bats; to avoid close contact with all animals including pets; and to act quickly if bitten or scratched by an animal.

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Rabies Alert: CDC Highlights Threat to Travelers

Friday, October 15th, 2010 by

Though it may be far from many travelers’ minds, rabies poses a lethal threat in most parts of the world.  Today’s travel bulletin addressed the 100th rabies related death in Indonesia.  Earlier this month the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported on a fatal case of rabies acquired by a Virginia man in India in 2009. Rabies is rare in the U.S.– since 2000, only 31 cases have been reported but seven were acquired abroad. Cases were contracted by Americans traveling in India, the Philippines, Mexico, Ghana, El Salvador and Haiti. Rabies is transmitted by animal bites—most commonly by dogs but also wild animals, including bats.

The biggest threat is posed by dogs in Asia and Africa, but very few countries are free of rabies (see chart below). And many rabies cases are likely treated abroad and not reported. According to the CDC, the actual rate of rabies exposure in tourists has not been calculated with accuracy; however, studies have found a range of roughly 16 to 200 infections per 100,000 travelers.

Rabies immunization is widely available and is a good idea if you are traveling to the developing world. Unless treated early, rabies is usually fatal. Travelers are advised to avoid contact with unattended dogs, and spelunkers should seek treatment if they come into physical contact with a cave-dwelling bat that produces a scratch or cut.

Countries reporting no indigenous cases of rabies during 20051

Source: Centers for Disease Control   

Region Countries
Africa  Cape Verde, Libya, Mauritius, Réunion, São Tome and Principe, and Seychelles
Americas North: Bermuda, St. Pierre and Miquelon Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher) and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, and Virgin Islands (UK and US)South: Uruguay
Asia Hong Kong, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia (Sabah), Qatar, Singapore, United Arab Emirates
Europe Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic2, Denmark2, Finland, France2, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands2, Norway, Portugal, Spain2 (except Ceuta/ Melilla), Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom2
Oceania3 Australia2, Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Kiribati, Micronesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu

1Bat rabies may exist in some areas that are reportedly free of rabies in other animals.

2Bat lyssa viruses are known to exist in these areas that are reportedly free of rabies in other animals.

3Most of Pacific Oceania is reportedly rabies-free.

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Travel Bulletin Indonesia: Rabies death toll on Bali reaches 100

Friday, October 15th, 2010 by

The death toll from an outbreak of rabies on Indonesia’s Bali tourist resort reached 100 on October 15th after a 40-year-old villager died overnight of the disease after he was hospitalized. The outbreak began in 2008, with officials killing some 200,000 stray dogs and vaccinating others against rabies. Several countries have issued travel advisories advising their nationals to be vaccinated against the disease and to avoid dogs roaming the country’s beaches.

Copyright © 2010, World Health Organization

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Rabies: Little Critters Carry Big Diseases

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 by

Although rabies is rare in the U.S., it is still a risk in both rural and urban areas.  A recent New York Times article, Taking the ‘Wild’ in Wildlife Seriously, reminds us that rabies can occur anywhere and is a very real threat to health and safety.

Outside the U.S., rabies is even more common.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 55,000 people die of rabies each year; 95% of these fatal cases occur in Asia and Africa.

Rabies is most often transmitted to humans through a bite from an infected animal. Simply petting or being licked by an infected animal does not generally cause disease. Modern rabies therapy has an extremely high success rate, so it is imperative to get help immediately if bitten, especially because once the flu-like clinical signs of rabies develop in a human, the disease is almost always fatal.

Travelers should be aware of animals wherever they are, particularly those behaving with unusual boldness around humans.  Because any animal – wild or domestic – can pose a threat, contact with any unfamiliar ones should be avoided. 

Although the rabies vaccine is not necessary for most travelers, it is available for high-risk individuals such as field biologists who expect to be handling animals.  It may also be appropriate for those traveling in areas where rabies is still a problem in domestic animals and where prophylactic care may not be readily available, such as for hikers exploring remote rural areas.  If you’re not sure whether you need the vaccine, check out the CDC recommendations for getting the rabies vaccination before traveling.

Author: Melissa Haertsch
Melissa Haertsch, a guest contributor to the Healthy Travel blog, is a freelance writer specializing in healthcare, travel and fine food. She favors outdoor-related journeys, which she launches from her home in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Photo by bartmaguire

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