Rabies Outbreak Reported in White Swan
Authorities fear coyotes are spreading disease, urging residents to secure pets.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Three cases of rabies, one a horse and the other dogs, in the White Swan district were reported this morning by A. C. Coburn, White Swan merchant. Mr. Coburn was anxious that some action regarding the threatened epidemic be taken. Dispatches in Oregon papers recently have carried stories that coyotes in that state had the rabies and it is feared these animals have brought the disease into Washington. Dr. W. B. Abbott, health officer, says coyotes, dogs, and cats are the worst offenders in transmitting the rabies.
“Dispatches in Oregon papers recently have carried stories that coyotes in that state had the rabies and it is feared these animals have brought the disease into Washington.”
Public health scares regarding wildlife-borne diseases remain a persistent issue in rural Washington. This report from 1916 highlights the anxiety surrounding the 'wild' moving into the 'domestic'—a struggle between regional health authorities and residents that persists in the modern era.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.