Cases of rabies have increased the past year, breaking a three-year decreasing trend.

The year-end 2018 report has been released for Public Health Region (PHR) 7 Zoonosis Control Program by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

Twenty-two of the thirty counties in our region reported at least one rabid animal. Counties with the most reported cases were Travis (115), Hays (61), and Williamson (52)

Although the total cases of animal rabies increased in PHR 7 during the past year, there were few to none locally.

None were reported in Freestone or Limestone counties. Leon County had a positive report of rabies for skunk.

Across Region 7, bats were the most common animal testing positive with rabies, with a total of 250 over the year 2018.

Here are the statistics for rabies in our region:

–490 animal rabies investigations were conducted within the thirty counties of PHR 7 by Zoonosis Control staff and local animal control officers.

–341positive laboratory-confirmed animal rabies cases were reported from January 1 to December 31, 2018.

–149 non-negative (“decomposed” or “destroyed”) animal cases were also investigated by PHR 7 Zoonosis Control and local animal control partners.

–39 people and 220 animals were exposed or potentially exposed to these positive and non-negative animals.

In addition to rabies, DSHS monitors several zoonotic diseases. Here is a list of the findings in our region for 2018:

–Anaplasmosis – 2 confirmed, 1 probable

–Babesiosis – 1 confirmed

–Brucellosis – 2 confirmed

–Chagas disease (chronic indeterminate) – 1 confirmed

–Chagas disease (symptomatic) – 2 confirmed

–Chikungunya virus disease – 2 probable

–Dengue – 1 confirmed, 1 probable

–Ehrlichiosis – 1 probable

–LaCrosse encephalitis – 1 confirmed

–Lyme disease – 4 confirmed, 4 probable

–Malaria – 24 confirmed

–Flea-borne murine typhus – 5 confirmed, 31 probable

–Q fever (acute) – 2 probable

–Q fever (chronic) – 1 confirmed, 1 probable

–Spotted fever group rickettsiosis – 5 probable

–Undifferentiated Taenia infection – 1 probable

–West Nile fever – 2 probable

–West Nile neuroinvasive disease – 1 confirmed, 3 probable

–Zika disease – 2 confirmed

For more information, visit online at www.texaszoonosis.org