- Dead seals potentially infected with rabies are washing up on Cape Town’s beaches, causing health concerns among locals and beachgoers.
- Despite warnings from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to avoid contact with these animals, delays in removing carcasses are prompting public calls for swift action.
- The NICD has confirmed rabies cases in seals across the Western Cape, urging caution and immediate medical attention for anyone bitten by a seal.
Beachgoers and local residents are raising alarm as dead seals, potentially infected with rabies, continue to wash ashore and remain unremoved from popular beaches.
The recent rabies outbreak among seals has heightened health concerns, with authorities warning of the dangers posed by contact with infected animals. Despite these warnings, the delay in removing the carcasses is causing unease and prompting calls for swift action to protect public health and safety.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) sent out an alert recently to make the public aware of the ongoing rabies risk along the West Coast.
This after a Cape fur seal off the coast at Big Bay tested positive for rabies. The Cape fur seal died on 22 May and the laboratory results came in on 7 June.
Dead seals spotted
On Monday residents say they spotted atleast two dead seals in Bloubergstrand and one at the Milnerton Beach.
Environmentalist Caroline Marx says she reported a dead seal on 28 June at the Milnerton Beach and has since not been removed.
She told TygerBurger on Monday she escalated the matter to the local ward councillor’s office.
“Seals do die naturally especially in cold rough seas however with a recent confirmed case of rabies in a dead seal in Blouberg, it is concerning that a dead seal on the beach reported for removal on 28 June had still not been removed by 4 June.”
She adds litter in streets and illegal dumping gets washed out of rivers by rain and ends up on our beaches and in our oceans.
“With heavy rain predicted more rubbish will wash out and big waves will break the litter into smaller pieces. How do we change this behaviour which is destroying our world?” she says.
READ | Rabies detected in Cape Fur seals along Western Cape coast, warning issued
Another resident told the newspaper on Monday afternoon while on a walkabout at Bloubergstrand Beach to see if more deads seals washed ashore, she came across a dead seal and was later washed back into the ocean.
“What if some of our animals or kids came across the seal? And maybe others who is not informed about the rabies outbreak? We might just end up in yet another epidemic,” Jacqueline Foster says.
The City’s Coastal Manager, Gregg Oelofse told TygerBurger that it is normal and expected to have a lot of seal carcasses on the shoreline. “This is not at all related to rabies,” he says.
The NICD says their precaution to stay clear from seals applies to the entire Cape Peninsula coastline. Any person bitten by a seal is urged to seek immediate medical attention, and to notify the relevant authorities.
the NICD says.
Stored samples collected from seals since 2021 by Sea Search are currently being tested to determine the timeline and extent of the outbreak.
The Agricultural Research Council’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Research has confirmed positive rabies cases in seals from Melkbosstrand (October 2023), Plettenberg Bay (January 2024), and Die Dam near Gansbaai (June 2024). Additionally, researchers at the University of Pretoria have detected rabies in seals from Fish Hoek (October 2023), Pringle Bay (February 2024), Strand (May 2024), and Muizenberg (May 2024).
These findings highlight the potential for rabies cases along the entire coastline where seals are present, the NICD says.
Rabies is a serious and often fatal disease. The rabies virus is spread to humans and other animals through contact with the saliva of infected animals. Humans can be exposed to rabies through bites, scratches or licks to wounds, grazes, broken skin, or to the lining of the mouth and nose by rabid animals.
“The common signs and symptoms of rabies in people include discomfort or pain at the site of the (previous) wound, fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. This rapidly progresses to signs of neurological dysfunction, which may include changed behaviour, confusion, and agitation. People with rabies can also display hypersalivation, localised weakness and paralytic syndromes, which eventually progresses to coma and death,” the NICD says.
Immediate medical attention following suspected rabies exposure is critical. If no post-exposure prophylaxis is given, an infected person may start experiencing symptoms one to three months after exposure. In rare cases, symptoms can develop after more than six months following an exposure.
Advice
- Report any strange animal behaviour to the local State Veterinary Office (https://www.elsenburg.com/…/animal-health-and-disease…).
- For more information, contact your local healthcare provider or visit the nearest medical centre. Alternatively read these tips.
What to do when bitten:
- Clean the wound thoroughly with soap and water, as soon as possible after the injury.
- Visit a hospital emergency centre promptly for a medical assessment.
- The need for PEP with rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin administration will be determined based on the category or nature of the bite, severity, and risk assessment for potential rabies exposure.
- Avoid interacting with seals and other wild animals.
- Ensure your pets’ rabies vaccinations are current. Pets need re-vaccination every 1-3 years, depending on the vaccine and regional rabies risk.
- Keep dogs controlled or on a leash to prevent contact with wild animals.
