OKLAHOMA -- Although the rabies virus has continued to diminish in the years after medical science devised treatments and preventative vaccines for livestock and pets were created, it is important to stay vigilant with this deadly virus.
This sentiment was echoed by a CreekCounty resident living just outside of Mannford this June.
“I have learned a lot, but the most important thing I’ve learned is that a fence or a weapon will not protect your pets from rabies, only a rabies vaccination will,” said Leslie Ward whose dog bit and killed a rabid skunk on her property.
The time was 8:00 a.m. and the place was a semi-rural residential area just outside the town of Mannford.
Ward, having been in her garden, was heading back to her home. She spotted the skunk that was being trailed by her cats just three-feet-in-trail behind the smelly distinctively marked black and white fur of the normally nocturnal creature.
Ward said the skunk went towards her dog in the yard and both of her two dogs, a chocolate Labrador named Charlie and a mixed terrier going by the name of Luke, rose up to head the skunk off at the pass.
“The skunk acted like it wanted to get inside, it was very determined in spite of the dogs barking and acting very aggressive. It never sprayed (the stink on) the dogs,” aid Ward said recounting the incident.
Ward then yelled for help and her ex-husband went to procure a weapon to get rid of the pest.
By the time they both got back out, the skunk had met its maker after the dog(s) had drug it under the fence. It took just five minutes for one or both dogs working in tandem to attack the skunk and kill it.
[Five minutes is an eternity when you're been mauled and ripped apart. Ugh.]
Ward tried calling for animal control, but to no avail. After consulting her veternarian she was advised to put the skunk carcass on ice.
With a neighbor’s help she discover that they needed the skunk head intact to be able to determine if the offending animal was infected with rabies as indicated by its strange behavior when confronted by cats, human and dogs.
Ward contacted a epidemiologist for answers.
Laurence Bunsed, MPH, returned Ward’s call and provided the information she needed to ease her mind.
Bunsed said rabies is found in the brain, spinal fluid and saliva of an infected mammal. Burnsed further explained that if any of those fluids came in contact with her dogs by the canines biting the skunk the dogs could be infected with the rabies virus.
Ward transported the iced skunk head to the Department of Health in Oklahoma City and their testing came back as positive for rabies.
“Fortunately all of my pet’s vaccinations are current and my vet confirmed it with Dr. Burnsed,” said Ward.
Burnsed that if the dogs had not been up to date with their anti-rabies shots, the animals would have been put into quarantine for 6 months observation or euthenized.
Ward’s two dogs were given rabies boosters and she was further cautioned to keep a watchful eye on the behaviors exhibited by Charlie and Luke. She was told to keenly observe to look for any abnormal behavior even to the point of watching the dogs normal aggression pattern suddenly switched to calm.
Burnsed and Ward want their Oklahoma neighbors and friends to be fully aware of this deadly virus with a potential to walk right into a resident’s back yard.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, rabies attacks the nervous system of humans and other warm-blooded mammals. The virus is almost always 100 percent fatal once symptoms of the disease become apparent.
If someone has been bitten by an animal they should:
•Wash the wound with soap and water for ten minutes.
•Immediately contact a healthcare provider, animal bites routinely contain harmful bacteria so antibiotics or a tetanus booster may be needed.
•Try and catch the animal safely. If possible call animal control or local law enforcement to help.
•Contact the local health department to report the circumstances of the bite or scratch. They can help confirm the animal’s rabies status.
•Lastly call the Acute Disease Service Epidermiologist-on-call at 405-271-4060.
The time period between contracting the disease and the start of symptoms is usually one to three months; however it can vary from less than one week to more than one year.
Early symptoms may include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. Soon followed by either violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, and fear of water (hydrophobia) or an inability to move parts of the body and confusion, lastly followed by loss of consciousness.
The disease is spread to humans from mammals, commonly by a bite or scratch. Infected saliva that comes into contact with any mucous membrane is also a risk. Worldwide most human rabies cases are the result of a dog bite. In theUSA, less than 5 percent of rabies transmission cases are from dogs. Flying bats being the most common cause in America.
Rodents (rats and mice, squirrels and rabbits) are very rarely infected with the virus and even more rarely transmit the disease to a human being.
(Sapula Herald - July 18, 2014)
No comments:
Post a Comment