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n4e MEws & 0135ERVER <br /> • Individual ®I I to 25 <br /> rabid bats cases <br /> Fewer than ■26 to 50 <br /> 5 cases cases <br /> 5 to 10 ■More than <br /> cases 50 cases <br /> _. py' ',a+... ysWy rY.i mod..>a 'S�R+ti`...k`a <br /> 'fix T`4'"3� d <br /> .. ar <br /> Scott Grover,of the N.C.'Laboratory of Public Health;.makas impressions' f ' <br /> for microscopic examination from suspected Fabld animal,tissue <br /> STAR PHOTO BY ANDREW TUCKER r� <br /> - <br /> .t <br /> _ kwf <br /> • �' • '.�' �" .sifd'.+ .'� err `' ' j: <br /> A 9trowing e�p i d e <br /> Rabies has swept through much of the Eastern LMi#ad States: It <br /> spread into North Carolina from Virginia and South Carolina. <br /> Now, 59 of N.C.'s 100 counties are reporting cases. So far there ,fit <br /> have been few reported in the western part of the state. <br /> A took at rabies in N.C. 4,676 � <br /> Number of specimens tested ,_ 4 <br /> ,. +� <br /> Number of confirmed laboratory cases 3,41 b ♦���I -'�. �� <br /> 2,444 2,389 <br /> 2,134 <br /> 1,848 - P�,_ M1;V <br /> I � <br /> 1 123 <br /> E <br /> 190 191 '92 193 '94 '95,. 96, '97' <br /> Rabies taxin g s resources <br /> BY JAY PRICE prevention are struggling to keep up. <br /> STAFF WR,TER Agencies struggle "I am stretched beyond the limit,"said <br /> Since New Year's Day,23 animals have Lee Hunter, a public health veterinari- <br /> tested positive for rabies in Chatham to track disease an."We are trying not to let anything drop, <br /> County. But the county's animal control but when you have to prioritize, some- <br /> supervisor,Randee Linke,says she can't times you don't get to some things as <br /> swear to that figure because it seems to counties and shows no signs of slowing. quickly as you'd like." <br /> change by the hour. State health officials expect to record 1,500 Before the epidemic,state government <br /> "I've got tests pending on six(animals] positive tests this'year,up from only nine devoted only modest resources to its agen- <br /> right now,and the day is young,"she said in 1990. cies that fight rabies: Hunter's Raleigh <br /> Wednesday morning. Worse yet,rabies is creeping into the office,which dispenses information on the <br /> Chatham has plenty of company.Since pet and livestock populations,where con- deadly disease,and the Laboratory of Pub- <br /> an epidemic began in 1991,the deadly dis- tact with humans ss more likely to occur. <br /> ease has spread to 59 of the state's 100 The state's front-line agencies for rabies SEE RABIES, PAGE 1 6A <br />