Delaware: After unvaccinated Pit Bull attacks its owners, it's found to have rabies - was allowed to roam loose so health officials worried it gave rabies to others

DELAWARE -- A family dog in Houston, Delaware tested positive for rabies after biting his two adult owners. The victims were bitten while attempting to put the dog in a kennel and the animal became aggressive towards them.

The dog was not leashed when outside and the home has no fenced backyard, so it is not possible to determine how or when the animal got infected.

So are they saying they let this Pit Bull roam loose, free to attack anyone or anything it wished???

Additionally, the dog was not up to date on its rabies vaccination. The animal was euthanized and tested for rabies, which returned a positive result. The two individuals bitten by the dog have begun treatment.

The dog was an adult, medium-sized male pit bull, red and tan with white markings.

Anyone in the Houston area (Kent County) who thinks they might have been bitten, scratched, or come in contact with the rabid Pit Bull should immediately contact their health care provider or call the DPH Rabies Program at 302-744-4995. An epidemiologist is available 24/7. 

Anyone who thinks their pet may have been bitten by this Pit Bull should call their private veterinarian or the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) at 302-698-4630.

Since Jan. 1, 2018, the Division of Public Health (DPH) has performed rabies tests on 20 animals; this is the second positive case for 2018. A raccoon tested positive in January. In 2017, DPH performed rabies tests on 143 animals, 16 of which were confirmed to be rabid, including five raccoons, six cats, two dogs, two bats, and one fox. Six of the positive rabies cases in 2017 involved a bite to humans. DPH only announces those rabies cases for which it is possible the animal had unknown contacts with humans and there is a risk of exposure to the community.

Rabies in humans and animals cannot be cured once symptoms appear. If the animal is of unknown origin, or unavailable to be quarantined or tested, DPH recommends that people receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment, a series of four vaccinations, as a precautionary measure.

Rabies is an infectious disease affecting the nervous system of humans and other mammals. Infection can occur through the bite or scratch of an infected animal or if saliva from such an animal gets into the eyes, nose, mouth, or an opening in the skin.

(Delaware.gov - February 20, 2018)