Its spring time and more of us are outside now then we have been for months. It was a long winter… This beautiful time of year it is more likely for us humans to encounter one of those cute little Disney animals, like raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats. However, those cute little critters could carry a very dangerous virus. RABIES!! Rabies is most often transferred through the saliva of a rabid animal by a bite; whether that’s a human or another animal being bitten.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/rabies), the rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. The early symptoms of rabies in people are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort. As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hyper-salivation (increase in saliva), difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms. You read that right, death… This is serious; not only for humans, but also our pets.

There is a rabies vaccine available for pets and humans. Unfortunately, the rabies vaccine is very expensive in the form that’s available for humans. The vaccine is usually only given prophylactically to those that are a high risk of being exposed to rabies, such as veterinarians. If a human is exposed to rabies and has never been vaccinated, thankfully, we are able to be vaccinated post-exposure. When a human is exposed to rabies, it’s best to receive the vaccinations as soon as possible; and then schedule to follow with the vaccination schedule. Vaccination for a previously unvaccinated human would be to receive one dose of the passive rabies antibody and 4 doses of the rabies vaccine.

Unfortunately, cats and dogs are not as lucky. If a cat or dog is bitten by a rabid animal and develops rabies, there is no treatment. This will result in death of that beloved pet... That is the main reason why it is so important to keep cats and dogs up to date on rabies vaccinations. Talk with your local veterinarian on your pet’s vaccination schedule.

Best way to prevent rabies, is to stay away from raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, coyotes; especially those that are acting weird. But really, wild animals are wild, and should stay that way. They might be cute, especially when they are babies, but there is still the risk that baby raccoon could be carrying the rabies virus. I realize that there are times when domesticated animals, such as cattle, get rabies and you have to doctor that sick calf. Then you find out a couple days later he might have rabies. Well, consult with your local Public Health department as soon as possible and then if it’s decided that vaccinations are needed, get going on that right away.

If you have questions on rabies exposure, vaccinations, etc., please call Carter County Public Health or Dahl Memorial Clinic. You can also check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov.

You can find me at Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association or if you’d like you can email me at [email protected]. Thanks for joining me this month!