BAHA Reports Significant Increase in Rabies Case

The Belize Agricultural Health Authority is reporting a significant increase in rabies cases among livestock. BAHA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, is reminding livestock producers to vaccinate their animals against Rabies if they have not been vaccinated in the last six months. According to a BAHA release, Rabies is a highly fatal disease caused by a virus that can affect humans and all animals except birds. The release says that many wild animals carry the virus without getting sick, but it can infect domestic animals. In Belize, vampire bats and the gray fox are the primary sources of the virus. The virus attacks the nervous system, and infected animals may present nervous signs, including a change in behavior, excessive salivation, choking or gagging, in coordination, lameness, bellowing, and nervous twitching. Rabies has no cure but is 100% preventable with immunization.