Rabies alert: Cape seals’ aggression explained

In what an expert says is one of only a handful of rabies outbreaks in seals worldwide, and the world’s first significant outbreak among sea mammals, at least 12 positive cases have been confirmed in Cape fur seals along the Western Cape. The latest case was reported at the Point in Mossel Bay.

The seal was euthanised with permission from the necessary department and with the required officials on the scene after it was reported as being extremely aggressive. It has since been confirmed that it tested positive for rabies.

The Garden Route SPCA (GRSPCA) has urged the public to remain vigilant regarding wildlife on beaches.

The recent rabies outbreak among seals is the world’s first significant outbreak in marine mammals. The first confirmed rabies case in a wild Cape fur seal was at Bloubergstrand in Cape Town earlier this year.

According to Mark Dixon, a marine biologist from the Wilderness with global experience, two cases of rabies among seals were also detected in Plettenberg Bay earlier this year. So far there have been no cases in the Wilderness area.

Residents and travellers are urged to be cautious when visiting the Western Cape coastline.

Anyone bitten by a seal in the past six months is advised to seek medical evaluation from a general practitioner or hospital immediately.

Environmental health practitioners (EHPs) from Garden Route District Municipality, together with Western Cape Veterinary Services; the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment; City of Cape Town Coastal Management; and other partners are working closely to establish the extent and timeline of the outbreak through further sampling and testing.

The first sample was taken from a seal on May 22 and it was confirmed to be infected with rabies on June 7.

Rabies has not been detected in seals in Southern Africa before, and this is one of only a handful of outbreaks in seals worldwide.

What to know

• All human and animal contact should be avoided.
• Anyone bitten by a seal since December 2023 should see a doctor.
• Anyone with an animal bitten by a seal since December 2023 should see a veterinarian. Owners must ensure that their animals’ rabies vaccination is up to date.
• Wash all wounds for five to 10 minutes with water.

Signs

Abnormal behaviour: Domestic animals show aggression, disorientation, and paralysis. They may foam at the mouth and bite people without provocation. Animals are infectious before they develop any signs of unusual behaviour.

Discomfort and pain at the wound: Fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. This progresses to signs of neurological dysfunction and death.

Rabies is transmitted by a bite or scratch, a lick on broken skin or a lick on mucous membrane.

For more information or to report any incidents, contact the manager of municipal health and environmental services Johan Compion at info@gardenroute.gov.za or 044 803 1300 / 082 803 516, or call the GRSPCA on 044 878 1990 or the Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team on 072 227 4715.