Seals With Rabies Attack Beachgoers in South Africa, Raising Alarm For Rabid Marine Mammals

Cape fur seals with rabies have been reported in the waters of South Africa over the past month, confirming that the rabies disease has also infected marine mammals. In recent weeks, local reports stated that seals have been biting surfers and swimmers in Cape Town, a popular beach site for both locals and tourists. The threat posed by marine mammals has forced some beachgoers to flee from the waters.

While seal bites alone are dangerous, being infected with rabies is highly life-threatening. This is because the fatal viral disease (which is mostly known to infect mammals like dogs, cats, and rodents) has a high mortality rate. Yet, medical experts say rabies-related deaths can be prevented when the infected individual is treated immediately. Globally, rabies has killed multiple people.

Cape Fur Seals with Rabies

Compared to great white sharks, seals in general have been perceived by the public as friendly or sociable towards humans. However, there has been a spate of seal attacks in South Africa following the COVID-19 pandemic. In late 2021, scientists and local authorities observed an increased seal aggression towards people in Cape Town, which has been a hotspot for shark attacks.

Based on reports on Thursday, July 11, nine seals with rabies have been confirmed by authorities. This comes after some of the marine mammals in Cape Town called Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) have become aggressive towards surfers and swimmers along the beaches of the South African port city. Currently, scientists are determining where and when the rabies virus infected the local seal population.

Ranging from foxes to raccoons, bats, monkeys, dogs, and cats, the scope of rabies infection has spread even to seals. Following the detection of the deadly disease among Cape fur seals, South African health authorities have now assessed that it is the first significant rabies outbreak among marine mammals. However, it has always been possible since seals belong to the same Mammalia class in the animal kingdom.

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Rabies Disease Outbreak

The rabies disease is caused by a virus that attacks the body's central nervous system, which includes the brain and the spinal cord. Out of all the diseases on Earth, rabies has the highest mortality rate of 99.9%, according to WebMD. In terms of transmission, the rabies virus can spread through saliva, which is often caused by zoonotic transmission or when infected animals pass it to humans such as from bites.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the presence of the rabies virus has been detected in all continents of the world except Antarctica. It has been estimated that the zoonotic viral disease is responsible for the deaths of 59,000 people annually. Although wild mammals are prone to rabies, the WHO emphasized domestic dog bites are the main cause of rabies-related infections in humans.