MDHSS places Cass County on alert due to rabid horse

In a letter received by Dr. Kenneth Hatten of the Drexel Veterinary Clinic last week, Howard Pue, DVM, MSVPM, State Public Health Veterinarian, of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, stated that Cass County is under a rabies alert.
A horse from Cass County was found to be rabid on August 20, 2008. The horse had been ill for about two days, with symptoms ranging from change in temperature initially to neurologic problems and aggressive behavior shortly before it died. Because rabies in a domestic animal represents a serious and imminent public health threat, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is placing Cass County under a rabies alert effective August 25, 2008.
Rabies occurs naturally in Missouri in wild animals and occasionally in domestic animals. In 2007...
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