Hualien resident bitten by rabies-infected ferret-badger

A resident in the eastern county of Hualien was recently bitten by a wild ferret-badger with rabies, the ninth such case reported this year, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Nov. 17, when the animal broke into the victim's home in Fengbin Township, according to the COA's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine.

The victim sought medical attention immediately and was given a rabies vaccine injection as a precaution, the bureau said.

The ferret-badger died two days after it was isolated at a local animal quarantine station, and tests of the animal confirmed it had been infected with rabies, the bureau said.

Statistics compiled by the bureau show that since 2013, 549 rabies cases -- including 38 cases this year -- have been reported in 76 townships in nine counties and cities around Taiwan.

The disease has been confined mainly to wild ferret-badgers, with only a few cases involving masked palm civets.

The bureau urged the public to be on alert and avoid contact with wild animals.

The disease resurfaced in Taiwan in 2013 after an absence lasting from at least 1961.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel