Rabies on rise in summer with 12 cases in county

19 people forced to get vaccine this year

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008

The last confirmed case involved a skunk on July 27 in White Plains, said Bill Leebel, spokesman for the Charles County Department of Health. Rabid animals this year have been captured in Waldorf, White Plains, Bryantown, La Plata, Nanjemoy and Indian Head, he said. The health department recommended that 19 people involved in the cases get the rabies vaccine series because they were in contact with the rabid animals, he said.

Of those 19 people, four were able to stop getting the rabies vaccine series because the animals involved in the incidents tested negative for rabies, Leebel said.

Last year, 30 confirmed cases of rabies in wild animals were reported, Leebel said. At least one of the cases involved a fox that attacked a young boy in the Fox Run community in Waldorf. The animal actually chased the boy inside his house before the Charles County sheriff’s officers finally got it outside and put it down.

Foxes are normally aggressive even if they are not rabid, Leebel said.

‘‘They’re relatively aggressive to begin with,” he said. ‘‘Most wild animals will back down from a dog, but foxes don’t.”

The best way to protect pets from rabies is to have them vaccinated, Leebel said, adding that the Humane Society of Charles County, local pet stores and veterinarians offer the vaccinations, often at a reduced cost.

‘‘Pets should be vaccinated, and you shouldn’t let them run loose,” he said.

Rabies, a virus that is transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, is generally found in skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Domestic animals account for less than 10 percent of the reported cases, primarily involving cats, cattle and dogs.

The virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite, according to the CDC.

If it is suspected that a pet has come into contact with a rabid animal their owners should take extra precautions when handling them, Leebel said.

‘‘It’s important that if a pet comes into contact with a rabid animal to stay away from it because the saliva could be on the pet and it could transfer to you,” he said.

‘‘When a pet gets into a tumble with a suspected rabid animal and it’s all over you may want to pick it up and comfort it. That’s an easy way to transfer the virus.”

The incident should be reported to the health department or the sheriff’s office and, if possible, the suspected rabid animal should be tested, Leebel said.

A pet owner should isolate the pet and wash it down at a distance, Leebel said. If the wild animal tests positive for rabies, the pet should be vaccinated or get a rabies booster shot and put in isolation for 10, 45 days or six months, depending on the circumstances.

If a human comes into contact with a rabid animal or its saliva he or she will have to receive a dose of rabies immune globulin — a blood product that contains antibodies against rabies — followed by a five doses of rabies vaccine. The shots are given in the arm at a doctor’s office, according to the CDC.

The vaccine is very expensive and can only be obtained from a hospital or the health department, Leebel said.

‘‘It’s a very expensive vaccine,” he said. ‘‘Generally, family practitioners don’t keep it in the office. Civista [Medical Center] and the health department keep it on hand.”

It is imperative that humans exposed to the virus get treated because the virus is almost invariably fatal if left to cause disease symptoms in a person.

People should never approach a wild animal, especially if it is displaying odd behavior, Leebel said.

‘‘These animals are normally nocturnal, so if you see a raccoon wandering around your yard during the day that’s unusual behavior,” he said. ‘‘Normally they shy away from humans so if it’s acting friendly or playful or becomes aggressive or disoriented stay away from it and contact the sheriff’s office or the health department.”

Rabies is a deadly virus and once it enters the nervous system it can kill animals and humans within days of them becoming infected, according to the CDC. Symptoms of the virus in humans are nonspecific and may include fever, headache and general malaise.

As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear such as insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hyper-salivation, difficulty in swallowing and fear of water, according to the CDC.

Prevention and common sense are two of the best ways that people can protect their pets and themselves from the disease, Leebel said.

‘‘Get your pets vaccinated and don’t approach any wild animal, even if it looks friendly,” he said. ‘‘That’s the first red flag.”