The Washington herald., 1922-03-18
RABIES RACES IN
STATE OF WASHINGTON.

An outbreak OF rabies is raging
In the eastern part OF the State OF
Washington. according TO reports
reaching the Biological Survey De-
! partment Of Agriculture. The dis
ease made its appearance among
coyotes In a very virulent form last
August and soon spread over Grant.
Franklin. Adams, Douglas and Ben
ton counties Coyotes suffering
from the disease attacked people in
their dooryards and in the streets
OF the towns. necesSitating admin
istration OF the Pasteur treatment
to save their lives. Horses. mules
cattle. sheep and hogs were bitten
and died or had TO be killed. Twen-
! ty-five cattle were thus lost on a
single farm Many dogs have been
bitten by rabid coyotes, thus great
ly increasing the danger to people
and livestock from the disease
Appeal for assistance was made To
DR.. Glenn r. Bach, predatory ami
NAL inspector OF the Biological Sur
vey. in charge OF the force OF hun
ters employed comparatively by the
! Federal and State departments or
agriculture. and engaged IN de-
stroying coyotes and other preda
L
ing livestock. He arranged prompt
ly to place hunters in the locHlg
ties where the disease occurred for
the purpose Of destroying the af-
fected coyotes and others which
might become infected and serve
further to spread the epidemic.
Omcisls Of the State agricultural
department. the livestock sanitary
board and State and county health
omces Joined heartily under the
leadership OF the representative og
the United States Department OF
Agriculture in establishing qUaran-
tine measures and in organizing a
vigorous campaign to prevent the
spread OF the disease and to Grad -
! cate ~. County agricultural agents
took an active part in organizing
communities so that the operations
OF hunters might be most effective
IN reporting cases where people and
livestock were bitten by rabid ami
mails and in sending to the State
Agricultural College for positive
diagnosis heads OF animals killed
and suspected OF being affected with
the disease
Ali but one OF the State and Fed
eral predatory-animRl hunters en-
paNSNe AH Ane SAdlG oil " washington
were concentrated in the counties
where the disease made it's appear
ance. Long trap and poison lines
were established and carefully
tended to destroy affected coyotes
and others which might serve as
carriers. Nearly 1000 coyotes have
been killed and found during the
past i've months, and many more
took the deadly poisoned bGits. but
their bodies have not been located
due to the heavy drifting snow.
Despite efforts thus made 20 pre-
vent the spread OF the disease. cases
continue to occur. and IL Is feared
owing to the virulence OF the pres
ent epidemic. that Il may be spread
by coyotes into other States. cauS-
ing a repetition Of the disastrous
outbreak which began in 1915 and
extended into the FIVE Rocky Noun
tain and Pacific Coast States. Dur
ing that epidemic 2.lo0 persons were
bitten by rabid animals. and heavy
mortality was prevented only by
promptly giving the Pasteur treat
ment Fifty-nine persons who did
not receive the treatment in time
died. In many localities children
had TO be accompanied TO and from
school by armed guards. Many
hundred thousand dollars worth OF
cattle. sheep, hogs and horses died
as a result Of being bitten by rabio
/ coyotes.