The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday urged people not to approach wild animals such as ferret-badgers when hiking or traveling outdoors to avoid rabies.
As many people are expected to go hiking and enjoy outdoor activities during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the CDC and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) urged the public to beware of rabies.
CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said rabies is a fatal viral disease that can be transmitted from the saliva of an infected animal to the human body through scratches or bites.
Photo: CNA
If the wounded person does not seek medical attention promptly, the fatality rate is almost 100 percent after symptoms onset, he said.
However, if they seek immediate medical attention after a scratch or bite, and get a rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccine, the risk of infection can be significantly reduced, he said.
APHIA section chief Hsu Chia-ning (許家寧) said the agency has been conducting continuous surveillance of rabies among wild animals.
Among 2,597 animals tested from 2023 to this year, 137 had rabies, including 126 ferret-badgers and a Formosan masked palm civet, Hsu said.
Eleven ferret-badgers were found to have rabies last month and two this month, she said, adding that ferret-badgers are most active between October and March, and that their primary habitats are foothills and hilly regions at low-to-mid altitudes.
Lin said there have been only three people reported to be infected with rabies in Taiwan since 2002, and they were all imported cases who got infected in China or the Philippines.
They did not receive a PEP vaccine in time and eventually died in Taiwan after their conditions worsened rapidly, he said.
Wild animals generally hide or flee from humans, but if they do not, it could be a sign of rabies causing them to have a dramatic change in behavior, he said, adding that people should stay away.
If bitten or scratched, people should remember to take four steps: “Record/remember,” meaning try to remain calm and remember the characteristics of the animal; wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and then disinfect the wound with iodine or 70 percent alcohol, Lin said.
After washing the wound, they should seek prompt medical attention for evaluation, even if the wound is minor and seek PEP vaccination; and try to confine the animal and observe it for 10 days, if possible, to see if it remains healthy or becomes sick or dies, he said.
No stray cat or dog has ever tested positive for rabies in Taiwan, Hsu said.
The best way to prevent rabies in pets is to get them vaccinated, but only 64 percent of pets in Taiwan are vaccinated, she said, adding that pet owners who fail to vaccinate their pets could face a fine of NT$30,000 to NT150,000 (US$951 to US$4,754) .
Meanwhile, the CDC said there were 110,870 hospital visits for flu-like illness last week and 32 cases of serious flu complication, while three flu-related deaths were reported between Tuesday last week and Monday.
The number of emergency visits has not yet exceeded the epidemic threshold and flu activity has not significantly increased, but it is increasing in Japan and South Korea, where Taiwanese often visit, Lin said, advising members of high-risk groups to get vaccinated.
Cases of diarrhea are also increasing in those two countries, mostly caused by norovirus infection, so people who are traveling to those countries are advised to cook food thoroughly and practice good hygiene to prevent infection, he added.
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