Origin of 3 Rabid Terrestrial Animals in Raccoon Rabies Virus-Free Zone, Long Island, New York, USA, 2016-2017.

Scott Brunt,April D Davis,Hilaire Leavitt,Matt Shudt,Erica Lasek-Nesselquist,Heather Solomon,Pascal Lapierre,Navjot Singh,Laura Bigler

doi:10.3201/eid2606.191700

Abstract

During 2016–2017, three rabid terrestrial animals were discovered in the raccoon rabies virus–free zone of Long Island, New York, USA. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed the likely origins of the viruses, enabling the rabies outbreak response (often costly and time-consuming) to be done less expensively and more efficiently.

Highlights

During 2016–2017, three rabid terrestrial animals were discovered in the raccoon rabies virus–free zone of Long Island, New York, USA
We initiated enhanced rabies surveillance for ≈12 months in Babylon and Huntington of Nassau County to determine if rabies virus was circulating locally by increasing the number of wild animals submitted for testing via trapping, roadkill collection, and animal control activities, but no animals were positive for rabies
Information on rabies viruses used for phylogenetic analysis of viruses isolated from rabid animals found in raccoon rabies virus–free zone, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Long Island, New York, USA, 2016–2017*

Summary

Introduction

During 2016–2017, three rabid terrestrial animals were discovered in the raccoon rabies virus–free zone of Long Island, New York, USA. Rabies has been endemic to the eastern United States in raccoons (Procyon lotor) since 1960 and endemic to New York, USA, since the 1990s [1]. The spread of rabies virus from raccoons in the mid-Atlantic states to species in New York has been reconstructed with spatiogenetic and phylogenic analyses [2].

Objectives

Results

Conclusion