MEDFORD (AP) — a coyote has become the 10th animal in JosephineCounty to test positive for rabies over the past 13 months.
The coyote was found in the Cave Junction area, where sevenfoxes and one goat have all died from the disease. The other rabiesvictim was a fox near Merlin, The Mail Tribune reported.
The coyote has yet to be tested to determine whether itcontracted the same strain of bat rabies found in the other deadanimals.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials say it’s likelythat other animals have contracted rabies in the Cave Junctionarea.
‘Maybe we hit the jackpot and it’s the only one,” said ColinGillin, the department’s state wildlife veterinarian. ‘Butnormally, when you find it, it’s in others.”
If it is the bat strain as expected, the coyote could havecontracted it from eating an infected bat — the common theorybiologists have for the dead foxes, Gillin said.
But more likely, the coyote could have contracted it fromcontact with a fox, skunk ‘or something we haven’t found yet,”Gillin said.
The animal was seen last week rolling and drooling by a womanwho reported it to OFDW wildlife biologist Steve Niemela. He droveto Cave Junction and discovered the coyote alive and in brush neara cemetery. He killed it with a shotgun and sent the body off fortesting.
The latest incident had Josephine County health officialswarning pet and horse owners to consider vaccinations for theiranimals.
Animals such as horses and cats are not required to bevaccinated. Rabies symptoms in wildlife include lethargy, walkingin circles, loss of muscular coordination, convulsions,irritability or aggressiveness, disorientation and excessivedrooling.
, and showing no fear of humans.
ODFW officials say the agency will release a draft plan to trackrabies in Josephine County and determine how widespread it hasbecome.