Rabies Alert for Epcot?

[Laurieannc]

Was wondering if anyone knew if WDW was doing anything in response to the rabies alert issued. Do they put out bait with vaccines in it or anything like that? Also, do they provide vaccines to the bats that they have? When we have stayed at WL we see the bats at night, especially by the dock. TIA for any info!

 

[cgattis]

The WHAT??? Is there a news story or something? Can you post a link?

 

[georgina]

Was wondering if anyone knew if WDW was doing anything in response to the rabies alert issued. Do they put out bait with vaccines in it or anything like that? Also, do they provide vaccines to the bats that they have? When we have stayed at WL we see the bats at night, especially by the dock. TIA for any info!

From what I just read, the cat was 2 miles from Epcot. No, they can't put out vaccines in food! No, they can't vaccinate wild bats! All they can do is advise you to stay away from wildlife you see. I would not be worrying about the bats, watch out for feral cats, raccoons, etc. Don't approach or try to feed.

 

[georgina]

The WHAT??? Is there a news story or something? Can you post a link?

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/10/rabies-warning-issued-near-disneys-epcot-theme-park.html

 

[Laurieannc]

From what I just read, the cat was 2 miles from Epcot. No, they can't put out vaccines in food! No, they can't vaccinate wild bats! All they can do is advise you to stay away from wildlife you see. I would not be worrying about the bats, watch out for feral cats, raccoons, etc. Don't approach or try to feed.

Thanks for your response. Actually, where I live and in many other states they control rabies by putting out bait with vaccine in it. Just wasn't sure if it was done in Florida. The cat apparently scratched two cast members and there is concern that the animal may have infected other animals in the area. I believe the incident was at intersection of I-4 and World Center Drive. I know better than to feed or approach any animals in the wild, including feral cats, hoping others out there do too and follow the precautions.

 

[Mango7100]

I am a veterinarian.

Yes they do put bait with rabies vaccine out for wild animals where rabies is prevalent—it is a common practice for control of rabies in the wildlife population. Wildlife is responsible for 90%+ of rabies cases in the US. Florida is a state with established rabies (though not as many cases as the Eastern US where raccoon rabies is prevalent such as Virginia, North Carolina, NY, Penn, etc). And bats are a well known source of rabies—bats just flying outside is not a risk of exposure, but even finding a bat inside a bedroom where people are sleeping constitutes a risk of exposure since the bite of a bat is not always felt or realized right away. There have been documented cases of human rabies where the only known exposure was from a bat in a garage or bedroom but the victim did not report a bite. Florida had 79 cases of rabies in 2017. It is out more than people realize—a reminder to vaccinate your pets and to not handle wild animals

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Is the feral cat population around Disney growing? I had heard stories about the cats in a Disneyland that Disney spays/neuters and then encourages to hang around and control the rodent population. I didn’t know Disney World did the same thing. But last month on our trip we ate dinner in a Adventureland with a cat sitting there watching us the whole time, and now this story.

 

[Mango7100]

Is the feral cat population around Disney growing? I had heard stories about the cats in a Disneyland that Disney spays/neuters and then encourages to hang around and control the rodent population. I didn’t know Disney World did the same thing. But last month on our trip we ate dinner in a Adventureland with a cat sitting there watching us the whole time, and now this story.

I have read articles that Disney World does the same thing. The cats part of the program are spayed/neutered and also receive routine medical care (including vaccinations). They have secluded feeding stations that the general public doesn’t see. They are used for rodent control at the parks.

 

[wx1]

Sorry to wake a sleeping thread but why is the alert only for 60 days? I read that is the minimum incubation period. We go in September, just outside of that window but I'm not comfortable looking out for rabid animals on top of everything else. Resorts are so dark and critters can come out of nowhere so easily. Our resort is very close to the affected area too. In fact, most resorts are in that region :/