The victims were rushed to hospital after a beaver repeatedly bit them during a dip near Turtle Island – and tests later confirmed the animal had rabies
Holidaymakers at a picturesque lake got the shock of their lives when a beaver described as “out for blood” repeatedly attacked two swimmers.
And tests later confirmed it was infected with rabies. Brandon Shortsleeve said he and a friend were bitten on July 4 while enjoying a swim near Turtle Island, a small isle on the west side of Lake George, a popular New York vacation and camping spot in the US.
However, instead of keeping its distance, the beaver charged straight at them in the water. Shortsleeve told NBC 5: “The first time my friend ended up picking it up, it swam back at him, so we were like, okay, it’s just out for blood.”
The men suffered multiple bite and scratch wounds before managing to get away and out of the water. New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) were called in and launched a search around the area.
Officers later located the aggressive beaver close to the site of the attack and euthanised it, the New York Post reported. Its body was sent to a state laboratory, where tissue samples tested positive for rabies.
Because rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms start, both victims were taken to hospital and began urgent post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). It’s a course of rabies injections designed to stop the infection taking hold.
Officials said the treatment was successful and both men started the life-saving vaccination regimen in time, as per the New York Post. Wildlife experts say the incident is highly unusual.
Beavers are normally shy, mostly nocturnal herbivores that avoid humans. If frightened, they typically slap their tails on the water as a warning and dive away. But rabies can drastically change an animal’s behaviour.
Rabies is a killer virus that attacks the brain and spinal cord. People usually catch it from the saliva of an infected animal – most often through a bite or scratch, or if saliva gets into your eyes, nose, mouth or an open wound.
After the virus gets into the body, it travels through the nerves towards the brain. This can take time, which is why quick action can save a life.
Most people don’t feel ill straight away. Symptoms usually appear between three and 12 weeks later, and during that “silent” period the infection can still be stopped with urgent post-exposure vaccines.
Fortunately, the UK is classed as rabies-free for “classic” rabies in animals like dogs and foxes, and has been since 1922. However, there are still a few ways rabies-like infections can be a threat.
Some bats in the UK can carry a rabies-like virus called European Bat Lyssavirus (EBLV). Only a tiny number of bats test positive, but a bite or scratch can still cause the same deadly brain disease.
Second, there’s the risk of infected pets being brought into the country illegally or without the right checks. UK rules require cats and dogs to be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before travel.
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