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- <text id=91TT1013>
- <title>
- May 13, 1991: American Notes:Wildlife
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1991
- May 13, 1991 Crack Kids
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- NATION, Page 27
- American Notes
- WILDLIFE
- Rabid Raccoons
- </hdr><body>
- <p> A rabies epidemic is spreading through the northeastern U.S.
- Since 1989, when infected raccoons first appeared in New
- Jersey, 700 rabid animals--including skunks, foxes and even
- a bear--have been counted in that state alone. Last month
- three rabid raccoons were discovered in Connecticut, and experts
- say it's only a matter of time before the disease moves farther
- into New England.
- </p>
- <p> Rabies began to spread northward in 1977, when 3,500
- Florida raccoons were imported into West Virginia to be hunted
- for sport. A number of them were rabid and quickly transmitted
- the disease to other forms of wildlife and to some humans:
- rabies killed 13 people in the U.S. during the past decade.
- "Once raccoon rabies is here, it's here to stay," says Dr.
- Matthew Cartter, an epidemiologist with the Connecticut State
- Department of Health. "This is a long-term problem."
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
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