MOSSEL BAY NEWS - After an aggressive Cape fur seal, euthanised at the Poort swimming area last week tested positive for rabies, more positive cases are expected among seals along the coast of South Africa and beyond.
This is according to the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, which answered questions from Mossel Bay Advertiser.
There have been 12 confirmed cases of rabies in Cape fur seals between Melkbosstrand and Plettenberg Bay in the last year. The 12th case is the seal in Mossel Bay.
More samples, some taken from seals before August 2023, still need to be tested.
The seal at the Poort swimming area at The Point was euthanised on the spot on Wednesday, 17 July, after its aggressive behaviour was reported to the Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (S.M.A.R.T.).
Video footage, filmed by Coulson Art Photography and posted to its Facebook page, showed the seal attempting to jump from the water, towards a man and young boy crossing a walkway above it, as if intending to bite them. The seal also bit and shook a rope hanging down from a rock at the Poort.
S.M.A.R.T. spokesperson Val Marsh said that an assessment team of three S.M.A.R.T. volunteers went to the scene. Louis Steyn of S.M.A.R.T. then contacted Marsh, who is also the incident controller.
Marsh said permission from the necessary department was granted, and with the necessary officials on the scene, the seal was euthanised. The Garden Route SPCA was also present and posted on its Facebook page that the seal was "observed exhibiting unnatural and aggressive behaviour".
Outbreak of rabies in seals
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture spokesperson Mary James told the Advertiser the outbreak of rabies in seals is newly detected, "so more cases of rabies in seals are now being reported".
She noted: "However, we believe rabies has been present in the seal population for some time without being detected until now."
"We are expecting more cases of rabies in the future in Cape fur seals all along the coast."
She added that there are concerns there could be more positive cases among the seal population in Mossel Bay.
James said that rabies is endemic in wildlife across the Western Cape, including in the Mossel Bay area, "meaning that it is always present".
What is rabies and what are the symptoms?
According to information on the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) website (www.nicd.ac.za), rabies is a zoonotic, vaccine-preventable viral disease that causes damage to the brain and spinal cord in infected animals and humans.
James said an animal with rabies will often show a sudden, unexplained change in behaviour.
"Domestic animals can become suddenly aggressive or appear confused, while wild animals lose their fear of people, approaching and sometimes attacking them.
"Other signs include excess salivation, struggling to swallow, twitching, weakness, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. Infected animals will die within two to 10 days of first showing signs of disease.
"Rabies is a controlled disease, so it is required by law for a state veterinarian to be notified and to put control measures in place to prevent infection of other animals and humans. Rabies is a disease that is 100% fatal once symptoms of the disease start to show, so reporting suspect cases will save lives."
How one contracts rabies
A statement by the department from 27 June this year stated that the rabies virus is spread to humans and other animals through contact with the saliva of infected animals. "Humans can be exposed to rabies through bites, scratches or licks to wounds, grazes, broken skin, or to the lining of the mouth and nose by rabid animals."
Help
Seek help immediately or as soon as possible after contact with the suspected rabid animal. The sooner the person receives medical intervention, the better the chance the rabies infection can be prevented.
Symptoms
James said rabies can take anywhere from a few days to several years, in rare cases, to present symptoms but usually between three weeks and four months.
Sample
"Testing in animals involves sending a sample of the brain to Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute, where the fluorescent antibody test is done," said James.
Information on NCID's website noted that rabies in humans is diagnosed using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and/or skin samples. It read that post–mortem investigations involve antigen testing of brain samples.
Municipality
The Mossel Bay Municipality noted in a statement that the seal euthanised was the first confirmed rabies case in Mossel Bay.
The municipality is in the planning phase of designing notice boards which will be placed strategically at beaches to alert members of the public of the necessary information pertaining to rabies among Cape fur seals.
"Seals are wild animals and should be treated as such. Cape fur seals are docile, but curious. When seals go out of their way to attack humans, this behaviour is considered abnormal and should be treated as such.
"Seals acting uncharacteristically should be reported immediately," the municipality noted.
The municipality said a cross-functional panel workshop was held on 12 July at the municipal Joint Operations Centre in town regarding rabies in seals.
Dr Greg Hofmeyr, curator for marine mammals at Bayworld, Gqeberha, guided discussions on developing a response plan, taking into consideration the unique dynamics of the Mossel Bay municipal area.
The public is advised to note the seven-step guidelines relating to seals:
1) Keep a distance from seals at all times, both in water and on land.
2) It is illegal to disturb or injure a seal in any way. Do not chase, touch or attempt to restrain a seal.
3) Ensure that dogs are under control and always on a lead.
4) Do not touch, handle or consume a seal carcass or any parts thereof.
5) Listen for and obey requests to vacate the sea or coastal areas as given by municipal officials, lifesaving staff, DFFE staff or their representatives.
6) If bitten by a seal, rinse the wound immediately with soap and water for 5-10 minutes and urgently seek medical attention.
7) Report any seals ashore of incidents immediately to S.M.A.R.T. (072 227 4715), Dr Hofmeyr (071 724 2122) or the municipality (044 606 5000 24/7).
Rabies cases in humans 2024
According to the NICD during the first quarter of 2024 (1 January to 30 April), three cases of rabies in humans, children aged two, five and seven years old were reported.
These cases were reported from the eThekwini Municipality, in KwaZulu-Natal, and the Ngqushwa Municipality, in the Eastern Cape.
The other case involved a child who was hospitalised in Gauteng after acquiring the virus in Zimbabwe following an exposure in December 2023.
In 2023, 12 cases of human rabies were laboratory-confirmed in South Africa: Six in KwaZulu-Natal, five in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.
Previous articles:
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
