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South African authorities will resort to trial vaccinations of Cape fur seals in the wake of the first documented rabies outbreak in a marine mammal population.
Gregg Oelofse, head of coastal management for the Cape Town council, stated that the disease has also infected at least seven people so far while the infections resulting from bites or scratches by rabid seals were promptly treated.
A statement issued by the City of Cape Town on July 31 mentioned that even though the efficacy of rabies vaccines in seals is yet to be ascertained, “there is no reason to expect adverse outcomes and it was strongly recommended that vaccination be trialled with a focus on animals that come into regular contact with humans”.
However, with over two million Cape fur seals spread between southern Angola and South Africa’s Eastern Cape, vaccination of the wild population was not considered viable or possible.
As part of the government’s response to the outbreak, marine mammal experts, veterinarians, marine scientists, various government departments and key stakeholders from South Africa and also around the world, attended a two-day workshop held in Cape Town from July 23-July 24, 2024. The workshop focused on investigating the possible causes of the increase in the frequency of unusual and unprovoked Cape fur seal bites and aggression on recreational users in the Western Cape.
According to experts, excessive aggression associated with unusual behaviour is being documented in multiple cases. They believe that it is not normal and is directly linked to the confirmed presence of the rabies virus in some individual Cape fur seals.
The experts clarified that eradication of the disease is unlikely as rabies appears to be well established in seal populations and should now be considered endemic.
Initial indications reveal that rabies was transmitted to seals from another wildlife population and not from local domestic dogs. As this is the first documented rabies infection in a marine mammal population, the effect on the seal population remains unknown.
The city of Cape Town has urged the public to avoid seals exhibiting unusual or aggressive behaviour and to report such sightings to authorities, who may consider euthanising the affected animals.
A case of rabies was confirmed on June 7 in a wild Cape fur seal from Big Bay, Blouberg, Cape Town. Suspected positive results have also been received for seals sampled at Strand on May 15 and Muizenberg on May 26.
After the confirmation of rabies in Cape fur seals along the Western Cape coast, the Western Cape government on June 27 urged residents and travellers to be cautious when visiting the coastline.
Individuals who frequently come in contact with seals or use coastal areas for recreational activities, such as surfers, divers, water sports enthusiasts, and those in the fishing industry particularly, were asked to be extra cautious.
Information on various seal bite incidents has been received by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness from the City of Cape Town Coastal Management, Oudekraal, Kommetjie, Muizenberg, Blouberg in Cape Town, and Plettenberg Bay.
Rabies is spread by the saliva of infected animals, often through a bite or an open wound. The incubation period for rabies can range from a few days to several years, but it typically lasts between one and three months. Once clinical symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is almost always fatal.