Vetnews | September 2024 8 « BACK TO CONTENTS • A total of 28 Cape fur seal brain samples (fresh/ gycerosaline) have been submitted to the ARC-OVR Rabies Laboratory, of which 10 have tested positive on FAT. • A total of 140 formalinised Cape fur seal brain samples (that were submitted for histopathology, mainly retrospectively) were available at the Pathology Section, Onderstepoort, of which 12 tested positive on IHC. 5. Control Measures a. Awareness and education The public is urged to avoid interaction with Cape fur seals encountered at the beach, harbours, etc., as they are wild animals and are therefore potentially dangerous. If a person has been bitten, scratched or licked by an animal that is suspected of having rabies, they are advised to wash the wound well with soap and running water for 10 minutes and go to the nearest clinic immediately for treatment. Any abnormal behaviour or aggression observed in Cape fur seals or any other mammal must be reported to the local state veterinary office for investigation. Pet owners should ensure that pets are always on a leash when on the beach and other seal haul-out sites. It is additionally extremely important for pet owners to ensure that their dogs and cats are fully vaccinated against rabies, to protect them, and the community they live in. These messages are continuously emphasized through awareness material. For more information on rabies in humans and in animals, please visit: • https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/rabies/ • https://www.dalrrd.gov.za/index.php/publication/204outbreaks-and-diseases For contact details of State Veterinary Services, please visit: • https://www.dalrrd.gov.za/index.php/component/content/ article/451-provincial-veterinary-services-contacts b. Surveillance Surveillance for suspect rabies in Cape fur seals is being enhanced along the Cape coastline. Any suspected incident must be reported to the local state veterinary office for investigation. Suspect rabies in Cape fur seals may present as behavioural abnormalities (including aggression), neurological signs and death, that cannot be attributed to another known cause. Knowledge of normal Cape fur seal behaviour is required in order to ascertain what is abnormal, hence suspect cases should be reported to the authorities for further investigation. Sampling of suspect rabies cases is required to confirm if rabies is, in fact, present. c. Vaccination Due to the novel nature of rabies in Cape fur seals, very little is known about the transfer of the virus in the marine environment, as well as the effectiveness of existing registered rabies vaccines in Cape fur seals. Approved research projects are in the process of being conducted on rabies vaccination of Cape fur seals to generate information. Before any research may be conducted, all relevant permissions must be obtained through the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Large-scale vaccination of Cape fur seals against rabies is at this point not practical or feasible, but targeted vaccination of specific populations may be considered, depending on the outcome of the research projects. This is also a very important opportunity to emphasise that all dogs and cats are required to be vaccinated against rabies, by law [Animal Disease Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984)]. Dogs are by far the leading cause of human rabies in South Africa, due to our close association with these animals. 6. One Health response Rabies is a controlled animal disease as per the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984) and a Notifiable Medical Conditions as per the National Health Act, 20023 (Act No. 61 of 2003). A localised Working Group was established within the City of Cape Town and now includes stakeholders from other municipalities within the migration range of Cape fur seals where positive test cases were reported. Under the Working Group, Task Teams were convened and tasked with different aspects of handling the status quo with respect to positive rabies cases. Participating parties include Municipalities, Provincial and National Departments (Human-, Animal- and Environmental Health), relevant NGOs, management agencies, academia, seal rehabilitation facilities, exhibition facilities, veterinarians and marine mammal experts. The Directorate: Animal Health of the National Department of Agriculture together with the national Rabies Action Group, which functions under the Ministerial Technical Committee of Veterinary Services led by the Department of Agriculture, is overseeing this development. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and the Department of Health are closely working with the Department of Agriculture at the national level to ensure smooth handling of the situation, adopting the One Health approach. As several of the Cape fur seals that tested positive for rabies displayed aggressive behaviour and were involved in biting people and animals, efforts are being made by the South African government authorities and several NGOs to trace people and animals who have been in contact with suspect rabid seals in order for them to receive medical or veterinary attention. Any person who has an increased risk of exposure to seals (e.g. some animal handlers, veterinarians, researchers, etc.) is strongly advised to receive pre-exposure prophylaxis (be vaccinated) against rabies. v Leading Article
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