Rabies surveillance in the United States during 1997

In 1997, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported 8,50 9 cases of rabies in nonhuman animals and 4 cases in human beings to the Ce nters for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 93% (7,899) were wild anim als, whereas 7% (610) were domestic species. The total number of reported c ases increased 19.4% from that of 1996 (7,128 cases). Increases were appare nt in each of the major species groups, with the exception of cattle. The r elative contributions of these groups to the total reported for 1997 were a s follows: raccoons (50.5%; 4,300 cases), skunks (24.0%; 2,040), bats (11.3 %; 958), foxes (5.3%; 448), cats (3.5%; 300), dogs (1.5%; 126), and cattle (1.4%; 122). The 958 cases of rabies reported in bats represented a 29.3% i ncrease over the total reported for 1996 and the greatest number reported s ince 1984, with cases reported by 46 of the 48 contiguous states. The epizo otic of rabies in raccoons expanded into Ohio in 1997 and now includes 19 s tates and the District of Columbia. Thirteen stales, where rabies in raccoo ns is enzootic, reported increases over 1996 in total numbers of reported c ases. Among these, New York (1,264 cases), North Carolina (879), Virginia ( 690), and Maryland (619) reported the greatest numbers of cases. Five state s reported increases that exceeded 50%, compared with cases reported in 199 6. Ohio (673.3%; 15 cases in 1996 to 116 in 1997), Massachusetts (144.3%; 1 15 to 281), South Carolina (97.9%; 96 to 190), Connecticut (97.4%; 274 to 5 41), and Maine (86.3%; 131 to 244). Cases of rabies associated with foci of rabies in foxes in west central Texas and in dogs and coyotes in southern Texas continued to decline, with this stale reporting 78.3% fewer rabid fox es (13 cases), 26.7% fewer rabid dogs (11), and 63.2% fewer rabid coyotes ( 7) during 1997, compared with 1996. Reported cases of rabies in cats (300) and dogs (126) increased 12.8% and 13.5%, respectively, whereas cases in ca ttle (122) decreased by 6.9%. Thirty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported increases in rabies in animals during 1997, compared w ith decreases reported by 31 states and the District of Columbia in 1996. O ne state (Mississippi; 5 cases) remained unchanged. Hawaii was the only sla te that did not report a case of rabies in 1997. Four indigenously acquired cases of rabies reported in human beings were the result of infection with rabies virus variants associated with bats.