Rabies in Captive

Since January 2007, a total of 11 rabid deer from 4 deer farms have been identifi ed in 2 neighboring Pennsylvania counties. Vaccination of deer against rabies, decreasing wildlife animal contact with deer, and education of deer farmers may prevent further cases of rabies in captive deer and exposures to humans. Rabies is an acute progressive encephalitis caused by highly neurotropic zoonotic lyssaviruses. The disease is nearly always fatal in humans if postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) is not administered promptly after exposure (1,2). Although human cases of rabies are rare in the United States, each year nearly 7,000 rabid animals are reported and ≈35,000 humans receive PEP (3,4). Since January 2007, a total of 11 rabid deer from 4 deer farms were identifi ed in the neighboring counties of Lancaster and Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. These farms were locate