Bethel authorities warn public to watch for rabies

Published on March 3rd, 2010

By ALEX DEMARBAN

Concerned about the spread of rabies after encountering a possibly rabid fax, Bethel police and health officials warned the public they should report strangely behaving animals.

In their campaign to combat the potentially lethal illness, police in the city of 5,600 also said they're continuing to knuckle down on leash-law violators, since stray dogs might acquire the disease from wild animals.

How do you spot rabies?

Infected wildlife, such as foxes, often show no fear of humans, said Brian Berube, rabies coordinator for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp.

As for domestic pets, they'll be "aggressive or dumb," said Berube, who is tasked with preventing the spread of rabies to humans in the Southwest Alaska region.

"They could be really lethargic and not moving, or there's the wild crazy behavior you see in movies," he said.

Rabies-infected animals might also turn away from food or water and do such things as bite themselves or chew on their chains, he said.

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, home to dozens of villages and vast amounts of wild country and wildlife, is no stranger to rabies.

Last September, a rabid wolf attacked a hunter near the village of Kalskag on the Kuskokwim River, about 70 miles from Bethel. The hunter was treated quickly and recovered, according to news reports.

Rabies attacks the nervous system and is found in saliva, body fluids and tissue. It remains contagious after death. In fact, many animals get it from eating decomposed flesh, said Berube. It's also commonly spread through bites.

It's usually fatal if it's not treated quickly and symptoms develop.

In the U.S., where rabies is limited largely to wildlife, it killed an average of one to two people annually during the 1990s, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Berube said he isn't aware of any rabies-caused deaths in the Y-K Delta, at least in recent years.

The YKHC hospital treats patients for rabies if the animal that bit them can't be found or dies within 10 days, Berube said.

A young Bethel man bitten by a dog two weeks ago was recently treated after the dog dissapeared. It's unknown if the dog had rabies.

As for the fox, Bethel police shot it early this week. It was sent to the state virology lab for testing. As of Wednesday, March 3, results weren't back.

The "sick" fox was reported to police Monday evening, after it harassed cats and dogs at 9367 Tundra Ridge, even chasing one cat up a tree, police said in a written statement.

The caller hurled wood at the fox, but it wouldn't leave.

Lt. Andre Achee and Community Service Officer Nick Diaz saw the fox under a deck. They said it was glass-eyed, seemed to sway in a sickly way, and approached them several times.

They killed it after determining it might be rabid and was a public health threat, said Larry Elarton, police chief.

According to police, the fox didn't bite the cats or dogs. Berube said he's trying to verify that.

As for the leash law, the police warning issued through the media in late February seems to have reduced the number of stray dogs somewhat, said Elarton.

At the time, Elarton said police had recently issued about 10 citations to owners who didn't leash dogs in public areas. In the past, police usually issued verbal warnings for the violation.

Anyone wanting information about rabies should contact Berube at (907) 543-6422.