PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Dr Gwen Penry, a Plett representative on the national and regional response network on the seal-rabies issue, says dogs on leads on all Plettenberg Bay beaches is a "sensible decision".

Despite being unpopular, the move is necessary, "especially as we come into the summer breeding season, and the busy tourist season".

There have been three confirmed positive-rabies seals from Plett since testing began in May.

There have also been aggressive interactions with people; a few occurred in the busy December/January period, and all of those people have subsequently been contacted and followed up with by the State Vet and National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Dog bitten by seal

Penry said there was an incident in Cape Town of a dog getting bitten by a seal that had rabies, and the dog subsequently contracted rabies and had to be euthanised.

"Even if your dog is vaccinated, that doesn't give it 100% protection and the efficacy of the vaccine wears off over time," said Penry.

The symptoms in seals was "tricky to describe, because we are still trying to understand how the disease presents in seals".

'Unusual aggression'

"But, from the cases so far there is a mixture of unusual aggression (seals pursuing and biting people), and various neurological symptoms such as convulsions, disorientation and coma.

"A seal might appear to be sleeping or unwell, but may be in the advanced stages of the disease whereby they go into a sort of comatose state, but are shaking," said Penry.

She said the public was urged stay away from all seals on the beaches.

"Do not approach for any reason. The best thing is to photograph or video the seal and send it to the Plett Stranding Network 079 463 4837 with a location and if possible a brief description of what you saw," said Penry.

'Controlled disease'

Experts will then review the footage to determine if it is a suspect rabies case.

"Rabies is a controlled disease, meaning the government has to take action to manage spread among populations and minimise transfer to humans. It is a legal requirement to vaccinate your pets against rabies and ensure that they receive regular boosters,' said Penry.

Safety measures

Plett Tourism said both residents and visitors are encouraged to observe the safety measures that have been put in place "as a precautionary measure".

Bitou municipality has amended the by-law regarding dogs on beaches to ensure that dogs remain leashed at all times to minimise possible interaction with seals on Plett beaches, due to the recent discovery of rabies in the seal populations along the Western Cape coastal areas.

'Informed decisions'

"Our intent is for guests and residents to make informed decisions and to observe mindful tourism practices that balance the enjoyment of our natural assets with the well-being of local ecosystems and wildlife."

The local response to the situation starts with community programmes to vaccinate stray dogs, which are actively in place.

The Bitou municipality was involved in the National Rabies-Response workshop in July, and have already put systems in place for quick and safe seal carcass removals.

Dogs on leashes will likely be revised in the future, but, for the next few months, residents are asked to respect this decision, as it was made not just to prevent interaction with carcasses, but also with live seals ashore (dogs are often seen approaching seals ashore).

'17 tested positive'

*An article published by Nick Dall of Al Jazeera on 7 September said 17 seals along a 650km stretch of coastline between Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay have tested positive for rabies.

"Some of these positive tests have come from animals euthanised for their aggressive behaviour since the first case was confirmed, while others stem from retrospective testing of 130 specimens biobanked (preserved) by the Sea Search organistion as part of an unrelated investigation over the past three years. The number of positive cases - from both retrospective and future testing - is sure to rise.

"While research is ongoing, the latest sequencing suggests that the seals have a wildlife strain of the virus."

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