TAIPEI, Taiwan, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A rabies outbreak in Taiwan has infected 40 ferret-badgers on the island, which until recently had been rabies-free for decades, health officials said.
The Taiwanese Council of Agriculture said the strain of rabies analyzed thus far suggest it came to the island from China with smuggled animals. The strain examined was 90 percent similar to Chinese rabies, said Tsai Hsiang-jung, director-general of the council's Animal Health Research Institute.
About 1,000 Taiwanese will receive rabies vaccinations, Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Health officials told the Taiwan Central News Agency the first rabies case was documented July 17 and has since risen to include the 40 ferret-badgers. It has since spread to seven counties.
