"No reason to panic"

South Africa: Rabies in seals – people bitten

(Bild: AFP/Anna Zieminski)

According to the city council, eight people have been bitten by rabid seals on beaches around the South African tourist metropolis of Cape Town. So far there are no indications that any of the people bitten have contracted rabies.

The city had so far confirmed eleven cases of rabies in brown Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) in the Western Cape Province, Gregg Oelofse, the Western Cape's manager for coastal and environmental management, told the German press agency dpa. All those affected have been instructed to be injected with a prophylaxis. This is almost 100 percent effective.

First proven outbreak worldwide
According to Oelofse, this is the world's first proven outbreak of rabies in several marine mammals. Previously, only one case had been recorded in a single animal in Norway in 1980. South African authorities became aware of the problem in May. "We had observed some seals behaving very unusually, so we tested four of them. Three of them were positive," said Oelofse.

Although "there is no reason to panic", beachgoers should stay away from seals and seal carcasses, according to a statement from the City of Cape Town. Anyone bitten by a seal should seek medical attention immediately and inform the local authorities.

What is rabies?

Rabies is an animal-borne disease of the central nervous system that is usually fatal. According to the Robert Koch Institute, various mammals can carry rabies viruses, primarily dogs, foxes and bats.

According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 59,000 people worldwide die from rabies every year, although the number of unreported cases in Africa and Asia is thought to be considerably higher.

First case confirmed at the beginning of June
The first case of rabies in a Cape fur seal was confirmed by the veterinary service of the regional Ministry of Agriculture and a state veterinarian on June 7. The animal had been washed up dead on the beach in May with bites to the face.

The city then set up an investigation committee made up of government representatives, the national park authority, animal welfare organizations, researchers, veterinary experts and pathologists.

The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO), a group of experts in Germany based at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, currently recommends a preventive rabies vaccination when traveling to areas where rabies is widespread, such as Africa.