A Connecticut black bear found acting strangely last year has tested positive for rabies, state scientists announced.
Found in February 2023 in Guangzhou, the adult female did not respond to human presence, a bad sign in a typically skittish species, according to a recent report in Microbiology Resource Announcements, a scientific journal. The bear, which should have been hibernating, also had difficulty moving the left side of its body. A state conservation officer euthanized the animal after being observed for 24 hours.
While not uncommon among some mammals in Connecticut, the rabies virus has not been widely detected in black bears. The only other positive test for a state bear was in 2016, state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division Director Jenny Dickson said Tuesday.
The information encoded in the genomes of disease-causing viruses represents unique genetic fingerprints. Scientists at the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture sequenced the entire genome of the rabies virus that infected the bear last year and compared it to sequences from other animals in a global gene bank. . The Connecticut bear was the only bear sample in the entire database, and the rabies found in the animal most closely resembled a virus sequence from a New England raccoon, according to UConn Today, the university’s news site. .
Laboratory director Guillermo Risatti, who is also a professor in the UConn Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences, told UConn Today that comparing viral strains helps scientists track the circulation of the virus among animals and identify new strains.
Rabies is a deadly disease found primarily in bats and wild carnivores, such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes. The disease, which is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals through bites or scratches, can also infect unvaccinated cats, dogs, livestock and other mammals. Signs of rabies include unprovoked aggression, movement problems, difficulty walking, and unusual vocalizations.
Each year, 60,000 Americans receive medical care after possible exposure to rabies, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While positive human cases in the U.S. are rare, with only one to three reported each year, rabies still represents a serious public health threat because untreated disease is always fatal and because three out of four Americans live in a community where wild animals carry rabies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rabies is also rare in black bears, but animal numbers and conflicts with people have increased in Connecticut. A bear that ransacked a home in Simsbury last week had to be euthanized. In 2023, samples from nine bears were sent to the veterinary laboratory for general testing after reports of attacks and other contacts with people, compared to a total of seven bears between 2019 and 2022, state officials reported.
DEEP is not taking any special measures regarding rabies and bears, Dickson said. While signs of rabies can also include startling, healthy male black bears may appear to act strangely while searching for a mate. During the breeding season, from late spring to early summer, males roam widely in search of females. Male bears may appear dazed or unresponsive to humans trying to scare them away, according to DEEP, and may even have an unusual gait that resembles “an exaggerated cowboy walk.”
A report on rabid black bears in Ontario, Canada, found that most of the animals were described as aggressive toward humans, including one that had porcupine quills in its snout.
DEEP emphasizes vaccinating pets as protection against rabies. People who come into contact with animals suspected of rabies should call their local animal control officer. If you cannot contact local authorities, call DEEP at 860-424-3333 for guidance. Conservation officers can help by capturing and transporting suspected animals for rabies testing.
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