RABIES SURVEILLANCE IN THE UNITED-STATES DURING 1992

In 1992, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported 8,644 cases of rabies in nonhuman animals and 1 case in a human being to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 92% (7,912 cases) were wild animals, the largest number of wild animals ever repo rted, whereas 8.5% (732 cases) were domestic species. The total number of reported cases increased 23.9% over that of 1991 (6,975 cases), wi th most of the increase resulting from continued spread of rabies in r accoons. The 2 epizootics of rabies in raccoons (Northeastern/midAtlan tic region and Southeastern region) are now approaching convergence in North Carolina (49 reported cases of rabies in 1992). Massachusetts ( 57 cases), New York City (41 cases), and New Hampshire (10 cases) beca me new additions to the epizootic in the Northeast, with Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont the only states in the region without cases associ ated with the raccoon strain of rabies. The state of New York (includi ng New York City) reported 1,761 cases (79% in raccoons) of rabies, th e largest number ever recorded for any state. Increases attributable t o epizootics of rabies in other species were reported by Alaska (25 ca ses in 1992, compared with 12 in 1991, mainly attributable to rabies i n foxes) and Kansas (374 cases in 1992, compared with 63 in 1991, main ly attributable to rabies in skunks). Reported cases of rabies in coyo tes (75) increased 50% over those for 1991 (50 cases). In the southern portion of Texas (reporting 70 of the 75 cases in coyotes), there was a similar increase (55%) in reported cases of rabies in dogs, whereas nationally, reported cases of rabies in dogs (182) increased 17%. Twe nty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported decreas es in rabies in animals in 1992, compared with 16 states in 1991. Hawa ii was the only stare that did not report a case of rabies in 1992.