Caution advised after seal rabies outbreak spreads to Garden Route

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - At least 12 positive cases of rabies in Cape fur seals have been confirmed along the Western Cape coast so far, with the latest at the Point in Mossel Bay.

The seal was euthanised with permission from the necessary department and with the required officials on the scene after it was reported as being extremely aggressive. It has since been confirmed that it tested positive for rabies.

The Garden Route SPCA (GRSPCA) has urged the public to remain vigilant regarding wildlife on beaches.

The recent outbreak of rabies among seals is the world's first significant outbreak of the disease in marine mammals. The first confirmed rabies case in a wild Cape fur seal was at Bloubergstrand in Cape Town earlier this year.

According to Mark Dixon, a marine biologist from the Wilderness with global experience, two cases of rabies among seals were also detected in Plettenberg Bay earlier this year, but so far there have been no cases in the Wilderness area.

Residents and travellers are urged to be cautious when visiting the Western Cape coastline.

Anyone bitten by a seal in the last six months is also advised to seek medical evaluation from a general practitioner or hospital immediately.

Environmental health practitioners (EHPs) from Garden Route District Municipality, together with Western Cape Veterinary Services, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, City of Cape Town Coastal Management, and other partners are working closely to establish the extent and timeline of the outbreak through further sampling and testing.

The first sample was taken from a seal on 22 May and it was confirmed to be infected with rabies on 7 June.

Rabies has not been detected in seals in Southern Africa before, and this is one of only a handful of outbreaks in seals worldwide.

What to know

All human and animal contact should be avoided.
Anyone bitten by a seal from December 2023 should see a doctor.
Anyone with an animal bitten by a seal from December 2023 should see a veterinarian. Owners have to ensure that their animals' rabies vaccination is up to date.
Wash all wounds for five to ten minutes with water.

Signs

Abnormal behaviour: Domestic animals show aggression, disorientation and paralysis. They may foam at the mouth and bite people without provocation. Animals are infectious before they develop any signs of unusual behaviour.

Discomfort and pain at the wound: Fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. This progresses to signs of neurological dysfunction and death.

It is transmitted by a bite or scratch, a lick on broken skin and a lick on mucous membrane.

For more information or to report any incidents, please contact the manager of municipal health and environmental services Johan Compion at info@gardenroute.gov.za or 044 803 1300 / 082 803 516, or call the GRSPCA on 044 878 1990 or the Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team on 072 227 4715.

Garden Route SPCA (Mossel Bay) inspector Mariaan Wentzel with the euthanised seal. Photo: GRSPCA Facebook