The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-11-23
HYDROPHOBIA,
SAY EXPERTS OF
STATE COLLEGE
Laboratory Analysis of Richland
Hogs Head Identifies the
>~ Disease as Rabies
MAY AFFECT ENTIRE VALLEY
Extreme Precautions Must be Taken
to Prevent Spread Say Local
and State Veterinarians

"The situation is serious and strict
quarantine will probably have to be
maintained thruout the entire valley"
This is the way Veterinarian T. B.
Hauschild sizes up the rabies "scare."
There is no longer any doubt but
that hydrophobia does exist among
the coyotes of the Columbia Valley
and that numerous domestic animals
have been inoculated with the germ.
A report received yesterday from the
State College absolutely identifies the
the disease as hydrophobia. The re-
port was made on hogs head which
was sent in from the Sutton ranch
near Richland. The hog had died some
time after it had been bitten by
coyote. Another specimen, the head
of pup, has also been sent to the
college but nc report has yet been re-
ceived on it. AS result of the report
every dog in the Richland district has
been quarantined. Those in the. town
have been shut up by order of the
council and those on the ranches by or
der Of the state authorities.
There have been no alarming de-
velopments during the week. Con-
siderable furore was created among
the farmers living along the river road
one day this week when strange dog
went on a rampage and was finally
killed at the home of ID. C. Bergen.
The animal was killed by Mr.. Borgen's
dog, but to make sure that he was well
killed Mr.. Bergen smashed the head
with a sledge. AS a result the brain
was destroyed and it was impossible
to take the head as a specimen for
analysis.
AT the home of C. Christensen this
dog attacked pet coyote. Other
strange dogs are reported to have at
tackled dogs at the homes of III. Fl.
Bowers, r. E. Carpenter, L. Smith
and w. III. Layson during the week.
All these dogs have been isolated and
will be closely watched for symptoms
OF rabies. 1t is thought the dog killed
at the Bergen place must have come
from some of the sheep camps in the
Lower Yakima range country.
During the week cow died on the
VIM. Tewalt ranch and a hog on the
Jos. Gerards ranch near Finley. Al
tho both these animals showed symp-
toms of madness it is not definitely
known that they wer, afflicted with
hydrophobia.
State Veterinarian Martin has been
here this week and is doing his best to
prevent the spread OF the disease. He
says If the owners Of dogs will CO.
operate with the authorities il will
not be difficult matter to stamp the
disease out among domestic animals
but to cope with it among the coyotes
is going to prove pretty big task.
This is especially true because of the
fact that this year the coyotes appear
to be much bolder than usual and
there will be the ever present danger
of domestic animals becoming inocu-
lated. \ Many instances lave Lcen re-
ported where coyosas have come into
barnyard' in daylight. Mr.. Martin
urges that extreme precautions be
tak.l in cases where Gogs or os.er do
mesric animals have bcE bitten by
coyotes. These animals cl:ould be iso-
lated aid closely watc,-ed until the
incubation period has passed. Dur
ing the first ten days there is practi-
cally no danger or rabies developing
but the symptoms generally become
manifest from Is to 80 days after the
wound is received.