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TERGNIET NEWS & VIDEO - A third Cape fur seal, found on the beach at Tergniet, east of Mossel Bay, has tested positive for rabies.
The Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (S.M.A.R.T.) spokesperson Val Marsh said the organisation received a call about a seal behaving strangely on the beach at Tergniet on Sunday, 25 August.
Marsh said she and a volunteer went to meet the caller immediately to ask directions before heading to the exact spot on the beach and safely capturing the seal in a crate. She said the seal became very aggressive once in the crate. It was taken to Hartenbos Animal Hospital.
Dr Anthony Creighton, a veterinarian at the Hartenbos Animal Hospital said the seal was monitored and then darted, using injectable anaesthetics, and humanely euthanised. He said this was after a joint decision by himself and veterinarian Dr Frans de Graaff.
Dr Creighton said: "The decision was based on the clinical signs observed which, unfortunately, closely related to rabies infection."
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By law the animal must be euthanised and a brain sample must be collected and submitted for a rabies test, he said.
"The seal displayed signs of aggression, especially towards humans (very abnormal behaviour) or fearless behaviour, attacking humans and inanimate objects, vocalisation through barking and growling and showed neurological signs: head shaking, restlessness, continuous swallowing and uncoordinated movements of the flippers, neck and body."
He says all these signs are characteristic of the “aggressive form” of rabies and were similar to the signs displayed by the first seal that tested positive after being eufhanised at The Point, in Mossel Bay (17 July).
"With seals coming ashore to rest on beaches and their forming part of their natural habit as well, it is of utmost importance that dogs, especially those that are walked on beaches, be vaccinated against rabies. The disease is 100% fatal and for the safety of dogs and free-roaming cats it is advised to vaccinate pets as the disease can be transmitted through biting and the passing of saliva from infected animals to healthy animals."
He said the disease affects the nervous system in animals and humans and the time it takes to show clinical signs can vary as the virus travels from the site of the bite wound to the brain. He said the affected individual normally dies from respiratory failure due to the nervous system being affected.
"The only way to test for rabies is to complete a post-mortem and collect brain samples that will be sent to the respective laboratories for confirmation."
He said that pet owners must also be aware that even if their pets are vaccinated, rabies will still cause seals to aggressively attack humans and other animals, without being provoked. This can result in very severe bite wounds for pets and humans.
Marsh said the positive test results came back from the state vet today, 30 August.
This is the third positive rabies case in the greater Mossel Bay area since 17 July.
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