Taiwan agriculture officials have reported the first rabies case in a Formosan gem-faced civet in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung county. The following information was provided to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Tuesday by Dr Ping-Cheng Yang, Director, Animal Technology Institute Taïwan, Council of Agriculture, Taïwan, Chinese Taipei:
One Formosan gem-faced civet (Paguma larvata taivana) was picked up in the Kenting National Park located in the Hengchun Township, Pingtung County and sent to the local veterinary hospital on 23 December 2014, then the civet died on 24 December 2014.
The dead animal was sent to the Animal Health Research Institute on 29 December 2014 and confirmed positive for rabies by the direct fluorescent antibody test on the same day. This is the first rabies case of Formosan gem-faced civet detected by surveillance program in Chinese Taipei.
The prefectural competent authorities have been conducting the intensified vaccination activities targeted at dogs and cats on the areas where infected Formosan gem-faced civet was found.
In 2013, Taiwan reported an outbreak of more than 270 rabies cases, primarily in ferret-badgers and nearly 150 more cases this year after being not reporting a case since 1959.
In addition to the many ferret-badger cases, an Asian house shrew and a domestic dog also tested rabies positive since 2013.
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