The Governor of Svalbard ordered the killing of two reindeer found in Tverrdalen due to suspicion of rabies.
The animals were sick and could not stand upright. Samples of both animals are sent to the Veterinary Institute in Oslo for examination on Monday.
The Governor of Svalbard encourages people to be aware and report if they see reindeer or other animals that have unnatural behavior and dead animals.
There is no known human exposure.
Rabies is a fatal virus disease that attacks the nervous system of warm-blooded animals and can also infect humans. Handling of sick animals or animals suspected of dying from the disease in areas of rabies should only be done by persons who are specifically trained for this. They should wear protective equipment and have good hand hygiene. There is rabies vaccine.
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