The significance of martens as transmitters of wildlife rabies in Europe.

In two areas of the Federal Republic of Germany, 191 rabies cases in martens were investigated for the occurrence of clusters. The length of the interval between cases recorded in the same community showed an uneven distribution. Most such cases occurred at intervals of less than 6 months. No close correlation was found between such associated cases in martens and the frequency of cases in foxes. The results suggest that short chains of infection do occur in martens. Though these episodes in martens are rare and tend to cease after 3-4 months, their significance in the epidemic should be considered locally during the final stage of control operations.