No human cases of rabies so far as second puppy from Colorado adoption event tests positive (2024)

More than 35 people have been referred for rabies post-exposure treatment following last week’s announcement about a rabid puppy at a rescue adoption event. But Colorado has so far identified no human cases as a result of the event, as state health officials continue to plead with those who were at the event to come forward for screening.

Rabies is almost universally fatal once symptoms appear, making this perhaps the most urgent public health response in Colorado since the early days of the COVID pandemic. The disease can be prevented after exposure if those exposed are treated before symptoms occur.

No human cases of rabies so far as second puppy from Colorado adoption event tests positive (1)

A spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Wednesday that the state has assessed more than 115 people to determine if they had contact with the puppy that could have spread the rabies virus to them. The more than 35 people referred for what is known as post-exposure prophylaxis came from that group.

More are expected to be screened as public health workers continue to interview people.

“I don’t want people to either minimize the risk or say ‘I didn’t have that much contact’ or ‘I probably wasn’t exposed,’” said Dr. Michelle Barron, the senior medical director of infection prevention and control for UCHealth and an expert in infectious diseases. “We want the public to get a formal assessment so (public health officials) can ask those questions.”

The head of the rescue group that organized the adoption event posted on Facebook this week, and told 9News in an interview, that another dog from the infected puppy’s litter subsequently tested positive for rabies after being euthanized. State health officials confirmed the second positive test Wednesday evening but also said the negative tests for the remaining 10 puppies in the litter did not rule out the possibility that they, too, were infected.

This is because the test is conducted only on brain tissue, which, if positive, indicates the animal was both infected and infectious. Because rabies develops slowly, it is possible other puppies were also infected but that the infection hadn’t yet reached the brain — meaning they weren’t able to spread the virus when they were euthanized but they could have later become infectious.

“CDPHE is doing everything possible to protect people and other animals from rabies,” agency spokeswoman Kristin Richmann wrote in an email.

People who attended the adoption event should contact CDPHE for screening. They can call the agency’s hotline at 303-692-2700 during business hours or 303-370-9395 after hours and on weekends and holidays. Or they can email cdphe_zoonoses@state.co.us.

A 20-day delay

The puppy, a shepherd mix, was part of a litter brought from Texas to Colorado and made available for adoption at an event July 20 at Moms and Mutts Colorado Rescue for Pregnant and Nursing Dogs on West Oxford Avenue in Sheridan. The puppy was one of 12 in the litter, which was called the “July Shepherd Mix” litter or the “Celebrity Kids” litter at the event.

CDPHE spokeswoman Gabi Johnston said the puppy arrived in Colorado on July 16. It began showing symptoms of rabies July 29, became seriously ill and was euthanized. A veterinarian submitted a sample for rabies testing, which came back positive Aug. 7. CDPHE notified the public Aug. 9.

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That delay between when people were potentially exposed at the adoption event and when they were notified is not ideal because the post-exposure treatment should be started as soon as possible.

But it is crucial people receive the prophylaxis treatment any time before they begin showing symptoms of infection. Once people begin exhibiting symptoms, especially ones related to the virus’ attack on the brain, then rabies almost always kills — save for a handful of cases worldwide.

A wait of week — or years

Rabies has an irregular incubation period, depending on the type of exposure and the location of infection. A scratch on the hand from an infected animal, for instance, may take longer to show symptoms than a bite on the neck. The typical incubation period in humans is anywhere from three to 10 weeks, but it can be as short as a week or as long as several years.

Post-exposure treatment consists of a large dose of rabies-fighting antibodies as well as a four-shot course of rabies vaccination given over a period of two weeks. The idea is to amass an immune-system army to fight the virus before it can gain a foothold.

No human cases of rabies so far as second puppy from Colorado adoption event tests positive (2)

On Facebook, the rescue that ran the adoption event said it has worked closely with the state on the response but also said the state “created a panic” that has caused families to back out of other adoptions and has severely damaged the rescue’s finances.

Barron, the UCHealth doctor, said the state is being appropriately cautious.

She said it’s possible the puppy had a lower level of infectiousness at the adoption event, since it wasn’t showing symptoms there. But she said that’s not certain, which is why public health officials are urging people to be screened and, if appropriate, start treatment.

“If this was not a uniformly fatal disease, we would play by different rules,” Barron said. “But it’s so high-risk that if we’re wrong about what information you’re giving us, you could die.”

“Devastated” adopters

Johnston, the CDPHE spokeswoman, said the puppy — and likely the rest of its litter — is believed to have had contact with a rabid skunk in Texas. CDPHE said last week that the owners of the puppy and the veterinarian who examined the dog were both bitten. They are among those referred for treatment.

Meanwhile, all of the other puppies from the litter have been surrendered to animal control, where they were euthanized because they had contact with the infected dog and, possibly, the rabid skunk. The puppies were unvaccinated against rabies at the time of the exposure in Texas.

In most states, puppies receive their first rabies vaccination after they are 3 months old, followed by booster shots in subsequent years. Colorado requires dogs 3 months and older that are being imported into the state to have a proof of up-to-date vaccination.

“The people who adopted the other puppies were understandably devastated when they learned their puppies were exposed to rabies for a prolonged period of time,” Johnston wrote in an email.

The state has also requested immediate vaccination and quarantine of additional animals from the rescue, saying they had potential exposure to the infected puppy. Because their possible exposure was significantly less than that of the puppy’s littermates, though, the state has not ordered the animals be euthanized.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

No human cases of rabies so far as second puppy from Colorado adoption event tests positive (2024)

FAQs

No human cases of rabies so far as second puppy from Colorado adoption event tests positive? ›

But Colorado has so far identified no human cases as a result of the event, as state health officials continue to plead with those who were at the event to come forward for screening.

Is rabies relatively uncommon in household pets? ›

The proportion of positive animals depends largely on the species of animal and ranges from <1 percent in domestic animals to >10 percent of wildlife species. Approximately 5,000 animal rabies cases are reported annually to CDC, and more than 90 percent of those cases occur in wildlife.

How many rabies cases are caused by dogs? ›

Although fatal once clinical signs appear, rabies is entirely avoidable; vaccines, medicines and technologies have long been available to prevent death from rabies. Nevertheless, rabies still kills tens of thousands of people each year. Of these cases, approximately 99% are acquired from the bite of an infected dog.

What is the only state that has never reported a case of rabies? ›

Animal rabies

In the United States, Hawaii is the only state that has never reported an indigenously-acquired rabies case in humans or animals.

What percent of domesticated dogs have rabies? ›

Domestic animals including dogs, cats, horses, and cattle account for approximately 9% of all recorded rabies diagnoses in the U.S. About 0.3% of animals tested for rabies test positive, and this number hasn't changed over the last 5 years.

What are the odds of getting a rabies bite from a dog? ›

The risk of infection following an exposure to a rabid animal is about 15%, but it varies (from 0.1% to 60%) depending on the exposure factors of the bite. These factors include the number of bites, the depth of the bites and the stage of illness in the infected animal.

What are the chances of a domestic dog having rabies? ›

While there is still a risk of your dog contracting rabies even while vaccinated, the odds are very low. In fact, the rabies vaccine is so effective that dogs who have been vaccinated rarely become infected, even when bitten by a rabid animal.

Can a puppy bite cause rabies? ›

The majority of the rabies patients, however, have been found to be bitten by puppies (especially stray puppies).

Do stray puppies have rabies? ›

No, not all puppies carry rabies. Rabies is a viral infection transmitted through the bite, saliva, or scratch of an infected animal, typically a wild animal such as a bat or raccoon. Puppies can contract rabies if they come into contact with an infected animal, but it is not a common occurrence.

Do house pets get rabies? ›

Indoor-only pets can get rabies.

While indoor-only pets don't have contact with wild animals like outdoor pets do, they can still come into contact with rabid animals if one enters the home. Bats — the most common rabid animal in the United States – enter homes and can bite or scratch pets.

Is rabies uncommon in cats? ›

Fortunately, rabies is uncommon in pet cats because of widespread vaccination by pet parents. Rabies is a medical emergency, and cats who have been exposed to the virus or who are displaying symptoms should be brought to a veterinarian immediately.

Is rabies very common in dogs? ›

Although extremely uncommon, there have been some poorly documented and isolated cases where dogs have survived rabies. This may be due to the rabid animal having very little rabies virus in the saliva at the time of the bite.

How common is rabies in animals? ›

Public health importance of rabies

In the U.S., around 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported each year, with more than 90% occurring in wildlife like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. This is a big change from the 1960s, when domestic animals, mainly dogs, represented most of the rabies cases.

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