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)

New York: Someone found a baby raccoon and brought it into a bar so the health department killed 12 more that hadn't been touched by humans

NEW YORK -- Apparently someone found a baby raccoon and thought it was a good idea to bring it in to Mr. Quiggleys Saloon in Lockport on June 2. During the visit, the health department says several people handled and petted the baby raccoon.

Investigators found that the baby raccoon was one of 13 found on Donner Road in the Town of Pendleton.

Of those 13, one was found dead and 12 others were killed. Of course the health department claims that because the one baby raccoon was handled, they just HAD to kill all the others. And because the dead one was too decomposed to be tested for rabies, they are presuming that EVERYONE who touched the baby raccoon in the bar has been exposed to rabies and they want them to all begin post-exposure rabies shots.

There was no need to kill all the baby raccoons as there was no proof that any human had handled them. The only one they knew had been handled was the one in the bar. So kill that one and test it for rabies. If it comes back negative, they'll know that the people in the bar weren't exposed to rabies. And the other orphaned baby raccoons could have been sent to a wildlife rehabilitator.

This, though, is typical of most health departments and wildlife officers who work for state Fish & Game agencies. Kill everything.

If you find an orphaned animal that is one of the high-risk rabies carriers (raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes), be sure not to handle it. Find a wildlife rehabilitator who is licensed to have them and have them come and get it. Otherwise, the state will take it from you and kill it.

South Carolina: Stray cat tests positive for rabies after biting Florence County resident

SOUTH CAROLINA -- A Florence County resident may have been exposed to rabies after being bitten by a stray cat.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says the person was bitten by the cat on their property on March 7. The incident happened at a home just north of the Florence Regional Airport.

The cat was placed under quarantine and died March 9, according to DHEC. Lab results released March 10 confirm the cat had rabies. The victim was referred to their personal doctor by DHEC to be tested for the disease and treated as needed.

“Rabies is transmitted when saliva or neural tissue of an infected animal is introduced into the body of a healthy person or animal. This usually occurs through a bite, however, saliva contact with open wounds or areas such as the eyes, nose or mouth, could also potentially transmit rabies,” said Craig.

DHEC also recommends keeping your pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccination.

The stray cat is the first animal in Florence County to test positive for rabies in 2017. There have been seven confirmed cases of animal rabies statewide this year. In 2016, one of the 94 rabies cases in South Carolina was in Florence County.

Contact your local DHEC Environmental Health Services office using DHEC’s interactive map. For more information on rabies: visit www.scdhec.gov/rabies. CDC’s rabies webpage can be found at: www.cdc.gov/rabies.

(WBTW - March 14, 2017)

New Jersey: Rabid raccoon attacked child in Mansfield, police say

NEW JERSEY -- A rabid raccoon bit a toddler on the thigh child at a home on Axe Factory Road on Wednesday afternoon, police said Friday.

The raccoon attack was unprovoked, police Chief Ronald Mulhall said. He said it was his understanding that the child's father fended off the animal, and that the incident was reported that evening.

An animal control officer responded, and the animal tested positive for rabies. The child, who is under age 2, is undergoing treatment and is doing well, Mulhall said.

The police are wary of exposures to rabid animals at Crystal Lake Park, a county park bordering Axe Factory Road. The department hadn't received any other reports of encounters, the chief said.

While unprovoked attacks are rare, authorities urge anyone who has encountered a potentially rabid animal to call the local police.

(Burlington County Times - Oct 21, 2016)

Georgia: Woman takes in stray cat, is bitten, cat test positive for rabies

GEORGIA -- White County Environmental Health officials report another case of rabies in the county.  Sean Sullivan  White County Environmental Health Manager said Thursday  the latest incident involved a  lady  coming in contact with a rabid cat, in the Sky Lake area.

“It was an individual, it was a stray and she was taking care of it. I think she had it for a couple of days, then just out of the blue it bit her and we filed a report, and I think it ended up biting her again, “ said  Sullivan.

He said, the cat was shipped to the Georgia Public Health Lab – Virology Section in Decatur and the results came back yesterday that the cat tested positive for rabies.

This is the fourth confirmed case of rabies in White County this year and the first in a while in the northern part of the county,  "the most northern part,  we had one at Innsbruck a couple of years ago.”

Positive  alert signs will be posted in the area where the rabid cat was located and Sullivan said, they also have some information fliers that the public can pick up at his  office.

(WRWH - Aug 18, 2016)

North Carolina: Cary animal control officials confirms rabies case after fox attacks jogger, dogs

NORTH CAROLINA --  Cary animal control officials have confirmed the town’s first case of rabies this year after a fox attacked a jogger and two dogs.

Officials tell local media outlets that the attack happened at around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Police euthanized the animal and took it to the State Laboratory of Public Health, where testing confirmed the fox was rabid.

The jogger is receiving medical care, and both dogs had current rabies vaccinations and received booster shots.

This is why it's so important for pets to always be current on their rabies vaccinations!

The town’s last reported case of rabies was in October 2014.

(Reflector.com - Aug 19, 2016)

North Carolina: Possibly rabid beaver attacks paddle boarder on Beaver Lake

NORTH CAROLINA -- A beaver suspected of carrying rabies attacked a paddle boarder on Beaver Lake on Friday, inflicting multiple lacerations.

"I saw a big splash, but I didn't see what the splash was from," said Betsy Bent, 67, who has used Beaver Lake for 22 years. "It came up under my board and knocked my board over, and then it latched onto my leg and wouldn't let go. I didn't know what it was at that time. I didn't think there was any 'Jaws' in Beaver Lake."

Once Bent fell in the water, the beaver kept attacking.

"I was yelling, 'Help, I'm being bitten!'" she said. " A very nice fisherman was talking to me and motioning me to come over, and then it turned around and attacked me again and latched onto my hand. Then it came around a third time and latched onto my other hand."

Attacked: Betsy Bent

The angler helped beat the beaver off her, and brought Bent to shore. She was transported to Mission Hospital for care of multiple lacerations.

"Beavers chew on logs, so I've got some pretty good lacerations and staples and stitches," Bent said.

She also had to begin the rabies shot protocol, which requires multiple shots over several days.

The beaver was to be tested Monday for rabies, a serious viral disease often transmitted through animal bites. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes, according to the CDC's website.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The shots prevent the disease from progressing.

An Asheville Police Department's Animal Control officer helped the Beaver Lake warden catch the animal after the incident, which was reported at 3:24 p.m.

"On Saturday, July 9, APD Animal Services was called by the Beaver Lake Game Warden to assist in impounding a beaver," department spokeswoman Christina Hallingse said. "The beaver was impounded and transported to the Western Veterinary Diagnostic Lab for testing at the state lab in Raleigh. Further testing is scheduled for today, July 11."

Betsy Bent said the beaver knocked her board over from
underneath the water Friday at Beaver Lake (pictured)
then latched on to her leg and wouldn't let go.
Photo: Flicker/Melinda

Mike Carraway, a wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said it is unusual for beavers to attack humans.

"It’s pretty rare, but it has happened before and it has happened in North Carolina before," Carraway said. "In a situation like that, you want to treat it like it is rabies."

Bent said she Googled beaver attacks and found that the animals can be aggressive when defending their dams or young, and continued development has encroached on their territory.

Bent, who retired from Mission as director of senior services, said the series of shots is not as bad as the older routine, which involved more than a dozen shots in the abdomen. She did receive three shots the first day, has a followup shot Monday and will need shots on the seventh and 14 days after the attack.

Insurance will cover most of the cost, she said.

A frequent lake user, Bent said she's never fallen off her paddle board before this incident. She also does not want people to get a bad impression of the popular north Asheville lake.

"We've lived just up the road for 22 years," Bent said. "It's a wonderful lake. This is just a bizarre accident. We’ll be back again."

(Citizen Times - July 11, 2016)

New Jersey: 'It was like a zombie,' says man attacked by rabid fox

NEW JERSEY -- The only reason Jon Campbell got away was because its leg got caught in the fence. He chucked logs at it to pin it there just long enough to run inside and dial 911.

He was in disbelief of what just happened. There was a rush of adrenaline. After calling the police to report the attack, he looked back out at the fence. The rabid fox was gone.

Campbell was in his yard the Thursday before Memorial Day cutting grass when the lone fox calmly walked right up to him. He recalled, at first glance, thinking it was a neighbor's cat or dog.

"I was 100% calm," he said. "Then I realized it was a fox."

Without having a chance to react, Campbell said the fox jumped up and bit him in the hip completely piercing through his clothing.

"He was attached at the hip," he said. "It was parallel sticking out from my hip as I was smashing it with my hands."

Campbell said the fox looked to be about 15 to 20 pounds.

"It was bigger than a cat but smaller than a dog," he added.

He fought to get the fox off of him, and eventually succeeded, but the fox kept coming back.

"It didn't charge at me, it just kept treading back up to me," he said. "It wasn't hissing or foaming at the mouth or anything."

Campbell said the fox approached 15 to 20 more times and each time he kicked it in the head to fight it off. The final kick was to the chest, which punted the fox into the fence catching its leg long enough for Campbell to run inside.

After cleaning out his wound, he headed out the door to drive to the emergency room. As he walked down his driveway he noticed the fox approaching him again.

"I thought 'let me see if this guy is stupid enough to follow me,'" he said.

It's not that the poor animal is "stupid enough" to follow him. It's that the rabies virus is eating his brain and he is in horrible agony while slowly dying.

Campbell then headed to his garage in hopes the fox will follow, and it did. Once inside the garage, he jumped over the fox and swiftly made it to the door, closing it behind him to trap the animal. Inside, he could hear the animal jumping around and later found it it bit the handle of a metal gas can.

"It was like a terminator or a zombie," he said.

The authorities arrived shortly after.

Campbell was given a tetanus shot and was treated for his wound at the hospital, which he said was about two inches long and an eighth of an inch deep. He started a series of rabies shots the next morning.

The fox was euthanized and a brain sample test for rabies came back positive, according to Edgewater Park Police.

Rick Bailey, an animal control officer for M&R Wildlife Removal in Palmyra, said shots administered after a rabid animal bite only prevent the human from contracting the disease after that one particular incident with the animal. A pre-emptive rabies shot can help prevent anyone from contracting the disease if they're later bitten, he said.

Bailey said you have one month to receive a rabies shot after coming in contact with an animal, but suggests receiving it immediately after being exposed.

"It all depends on where the bite is on the body," he said. "The farther from the head, the longer you have."

"There are many stages of rabies," Bailey said. "The dumb stage, in which they get really lethargic, the friendly stage and the aggressive stage."

Campbell said the fox that approached him seemed like a tame animal.

"If it stood there much longer, I might have reached down and pet it," he said.

Campbell said it's not uncommon to see a wild animal in the area, but added that he usually sees them from afar.

"I've been here all my life," he said. "You hear about fox sightings on occasion but I've been hearing about it more than usual."

Since the attack, Campbell said he is more aware of his surroundings.

"I'm definitely a little more shy," he said.  "And my peripheral is definitely more attentive."

(NJ.com - June 21, 2016)

New Jersey: Rabid pit bull bites 3 in Aberdeen

NEW JERSEY -- The Monmouth County Department of Health is asking residents who may have been bitten by a dog recently to contact the department immediately after a pit bull  tested positive for rabies.

The department can be reached at 732-431-7456, ext. 8580.

State officials confirmed Wednesday that a family's pit bull, which had not been vaccinated, was rabid.  The animal, which has since died, bit three people and was also in close proximity to a fourth person, all of whom are now undergoing treatment. Other dogs exposed to the pit bull are also being monitored.

"We are asking that anyone in the Aberdeen area who was bitten or exposed to this family pit bull, contact the Health Department immediately," said Christopher Merkel, Monmouth County Public Health Coordinator. "We are currently working to identify anyone who may have come in contact with this dog in the last three weeks."

Officials said cases of rabies in dogs are rare in New Jersey, with only 8 reported incidents since 1989. Rabies is more common in wild animals such as bats and skunks. A rabid raccoon bit a boy in Elmwood Park late last month.

Health officials advise the public to avoid physical contact with wild or unfamiliar animals and to vaccinate pets. Cats and dogs who have been vaccinated are not considered immune until 28 days after the vaccination, health officials also said.

(NJ.com - Feb 4, 2016)

New Jersey: Raccoon which mauled six-year-old boy walking to school tests POSITIVE for rabies

NEW JERSEY -- The raccoon that mauled a six-year-old New Jersey boy as he walked to school with his mother has tested positive for rabies, it was confirmed Friday.

Aryan Gavali had to get nine stitches on his face and received a deep cut under his right eye before he was saved by a heroic neighbor during the vicious attack Wednesday morning.

The child was on his way to the 16th Avenue Elementary School with his mother, Monali Gavali, when a large raccoon jumped on his back and and proceeded to bite and scratch him in the face.

Aryan was released from the hospital on Thursday as his family awaited the results.

Pratap Gavaili, the boy's father, said the doctors' are ready to start any necessary vaccinations and that his son is 'eating well and sleeping well'.

'But it's going to take a little bit of time to heal his stitches on his face,' Pratap told The Record.

'It's still swollen and there's a little bit of pain there. He's on antibiotics right now.'

Elmwood Park resident Danny Walls was driving back home to get gas before heading to work when he heard the screams of Aryan's mother.

 

'Within a second, he screamed, "Mommy"', Monali told NBC New York. 'Then I turned around and saw that he was on the ground...something was there, something was on his back.'

Walls saw Monali 'screaming hysterically' for help and then saw the raccoon clawing Aryan's face.

'I've never seen anything like it, the most vicious thing I've ever seen in my life,' he told The Record.

'He was gnawing at his face...like a dog playing with a toy. And he was growling so viciously.'

'At that very moment, I felt that was my son. It was really emotional, and I knew that I had to actually kill that raccoon.'

Walls grabbed a pole, made of fiberglass and aluminum, that he used for work and separated the raccoon from Aryan so he would have enough space to kill it without hurting the boy.

'The raccoon screamed and I gave it more effort,' he told the newspaper. 'But he still wanted to attack the boy. He had so much fight in him.'

 

But Walls, who has a son and stepson, said Aryan was tough too - doing his best to fight back.

Walls visited Aryan at the hospital on Thursday for an emotional reunion where the boys' family expressed their gratitude.

'He was happy to see me, he smiled at me,' Walls said. 'That was good enough for me. That was beautiful. He made me even more emotional than I already am.'

 “He was happy to see me, he smiled at me,” Walls said. “That was good enough for me. That was beautiful. He made me even more emotional than I already am.”

(Daily Mail - Jan 29, 2016)

Earlier:

• New Jersey: Raccoon Attacks 6-Year-Old Walking to School

New Jersey: Raccoon Attacks 6-Year-Old Walking to School

NEW JERSEY -- A 6-year-old New Jersey boy was attacked by a raccoon as he walked to school with his mother on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The child and mother were trekking to 16th Avenue Elementary School in Elmwood Park at about 8:45 a.m. when the animal latched onto the child's back and began scratching and biting his face.

The boy's mother, Monali Gavali, described the horrifying enounter to NBC 4 New York outside Hackensack Medical Center, where her son was being treated Wednesday night.

"Within a second, he screamed, 'Mommy,' then I turn around and saw that he was on the ground -- something was there, something was on his back," she said.

People living nearby heard the mother's screams and called 911.

"There's a woman screaming 'please call 911,'" one caller said in an emergency dispatch tape recorded by Broadcastify. "I think her child is being attacked by something.

Danny Walls, meanwhile, saw the attack unfold. He told NBC 4 New York he was getting ready for work when he heard the mayhem. He grabbed a painter's pole and rushed to help.

 

He tossed the animal to the ground and started beating it with the pole repeatedly until it died.

Wall's wife, Diana, saw the mauling and described the boy's injuries. He had deep cuts on his face, with the worst injuries under his right eye.

"He had rips on his face," Diana Walls said. "Not just cuts, rips."

Gavali said she didn't have the words to thank Walls.

"He saved my boy today," she said, still wearing the blood-stained coat from when she hugged her son Aryan after the attack. "He came like an angel." 

 

Bergen County Animal Control took the raccoon's carcass for testing; results are expected by Friday.
Authorities said school officials in the town have been notified about the attack as many children walk to school.

According to the Humane Society, rabid animals can display a range of symptoms including foaming at the mouth, aggression and disoriented behavior. In raccoons, activity during the day can be an indicator of the deadly zoonotic virus as the species is typically nocturnal.

(NBC Philadelphia - Jan 27, 2016)

Virginia: Cat that bit caretaker had rabies

VIRGINIA -- A stray cat that scratched and bit a resident along White Marsh Road has tested positive for rabies, and the victim is being treated for exposure to the disease, according to the Suffolk Health Department.

The resident had been trying to care for the cat, officials stated in a press release Wednesday.

“An animal exposure is a serious medical event, for which prompt evaluation and complete treatment is critical,” Dr. Nancy Welch, MD, Health Director for the Western Tidewater Health District, stated in the release.

“Rabies is highly preventable if vaccine is given early and as recommended. Unfortunately, without preventive treatment, by the time someone develops symptoms of rabies, there is no cure and the disease is fatal in almost 100 percent of cases.”

Welch offered the following recommendations for people to take to protect their pets and families from rabies:

Seek medical treatment promptly for any animal bite to ensure appropriate and timely evaluation and treatment. All animal exposures must be taken seriously.
Do not approach wild or stray animals, especially raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, cats and dogs.
Ensure all pet dogs, cats and ferrets have current rabies vaccinations. State law requires all dogs and cats over four months old to be vaccinated.
Confine your pets to your property.
Securely seal garbage containers with lids.

If your pet has been in contact with an animal that might be rabid, contact the Suffolk Animal Control at 514-7855 or the Suffolk Health Department at 514-4751.

(Suffolk News Herald - January 13, 2016)

Lee County resident bit by dog, infected with rabies

ALABAMA -- Lee County Rabies officer Dr Buddy Bruce says more cases of rabies have been popping up in Lee County, the most recent infection being a Lee County resident.

Two raccoons tested positive in Auburn on Thursday and a Chihuahua tested positive Friday.

The chihuahua was a household pet that went outside to play but came back inside with rabies. Not long after, the dog bit it's owner sending them to the hospital.

"It was acting very strangely and came in the house and the owner noticed it was acting strangely and it did bite the owner. They took it to the veterinarian who recognized the symptoms consistent with rabies," Bruce said."We recommended the human go to the hospital, East Alabama Medical Center, for post-exposure prophylactic treatment for rabies."

Bruce says the whole situation could have been avoided if the pet's owner had followed state law and vaccinated the chihuahua.

"This chihuahua apparently was not up-to-date or never had received a vaccination from the records I've seen and therefore it went out and contracted rabies, from where we don't know, and then came back and exposed the human in the house," said Bruce.

Besides vaccination, knowing the common carriers and symptoms of a rabies infection to look out for can help protect you and your pets.

"Animals out in the daytime acting strangely. Wild animals, racoons, nocturnal animals that are out in the day; that's not typical," Bruce said."If you go outside and you've got a stray animal in the yard, a wild animal, wildlife that will not leave, they're not scared of you? Typically, there's something wrong."

It's also important during the summer months, with kids home from school and being outside more, to make sure if they do leave the house that they keep away from stray animals.

"Before you let your children in the yard to play, make sure an adult goes out and looks around.  Make sure there's not a wild animal in the vicinity, in the yard, on the edge of the woods. We've actually had a few cases in Lee County recently where raccoons were found and possums found in the yard," Bruce said.

So far this year, more than 30 cases of rabies have been discovered around the state of Alabama.
Bruce encourages anyone who sees an animal showing signs of a rabies infection to call animal control.

(WFSA - M 24, 2015)

Rockland County Animal Control Officer receives shots after being bitten by rabid raccoon

NEW YORK -- A Rockland County animal control officer has tested positive for rabies after being bit by a raccoon.

Pat Coleman, who works for the Clarkstown police department, was  bitten on the left leg Tuesday near Maple Avenue in New City.

The raccoon lunged at her in the parking lot of the police station and Coleman later captured the creature, police said.

“She was able to get back into her vehicle and grab her animal pole and at that point walked across the street, following the raccoon, she was able to secure the raccoon using the pole,” Officer Peter Walker told 1010 WINS.

Coleman is being treated with a series of vaccinations. She has returned to work, Walker said.

People who are bitten by an animal that could be rabid need to receive a series of shots starting on the day of exposure. The vaccinations are given in a muscle, usually the upper arm, and are effective at preventing rabies, a fatal disease that spreads through the bite or saliva of an infected animal.

Police Chief Michael Sullivan told the Journal News that Coleman is doing fine.

"Rabies continues to be a serious public health problem in Rockland County," County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ruppert said in a statement.
Coleman has been an animal control officer for over three deca
des.

(CBS New York - April 17, 2015)

Woman treated for rabies after dogs mauled

GEORGIA -- Health officials and veterinarians have a warning for pet owners after a rabies scare in Lee County.

Several dogs and cats had to be euthanized after a dog tested positive for rabies.

"It had this wild look in his eyes." Lee County Animal control officer Jackie Grigg recalls seeing the rabies infected dog for the first time.

"When we went to get him, he was very calm. He didn't make eye contact, or nothing. He just sat there with his head down. But once he was in the cage it completely changed then," explained Grigg.

Grigg says they responded to a call about a dog fight near Society Street in Leesburg March 20th.

"It was a call that came in from a man who was walking his own dogs down an alley and he seen three dogs on a smaller dog, just mauling it," said Grigg.

A man turned the dog over to animal control officers and it was taken to the Leesburg Animal Hospital.

"By the time they got it into the holding pen, where it had to be quarantined, the dog had went ballistic. I mean it was really bad," said Grigg.

McKenzie Knight, who recently adopted that dog and another one, already had a Chiweenie and two cats. Her boyfriend also had a Shepard mix. All six animals and a stray had to be euthanized because none had rabies vaccinations.

"We couldn't take the chance of keeping these animals," said Grigg.

Veterinarians say not only does the rabies vaccine protect your pet, it's the law and documentation is necessary.

"If it's not written down, if it's not recorded, it's not been done when it comes to following the law on rabies vaccine," said Dr. Fred Freeland, the President and Veterinarian at Albany Pet Partners.

Knight is also being treated for rabies after she was bitten by one of the dogs. No one was at the home on Society Street today and it's not clear where she adopted the two dogs from.

A veterinarian at Leesburg Animal Hospital said the dog's head was sent away so its brain could be tested for rabies and that test came back positive earlier this week.

Neighbors in the area were also advised to keep their pets under quarantine at home for 45 days.

Southwest Public Health District released this statement:

Public Health official warns area residents to take precautions against rabies
ALBANY, GA—Good intentions turned into tragedy when a Southwest Georgia resident using an on-line service adopted a dog that turned out to have rabies – and the person's existing pets didn't have up-to-date vaccinations, said Southwest Health District Environmental Health Director Dewayne Tanner.

“As a result, this well-intentioned individual ended up losing beloved pets that had been exposed and could not be saved,” he said. “That was not an outcome anybody wanted.” Further, when animals with rabies bite or scratch people, they face unpleasant and expensive prophylaxis treatment.

Tanner cautioned that it is not unusual to see positive rabies cases occasionally in the 14-county Southwest Health District. “Wild animals that are known to harbor the disease include raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, bobcats and coyotes,” he said. “When they come into contact with strays or unvaccinated pets, they can pass the infection.”

During the spring, more wild animals are stirring and more people and pets are spending time outdoors – increasing the potential for rabies exposure.

“The best protection against rabies is to vaccinate your pets and livestock,” Tanner said. “We don't recommend that you interact with wild animals or strays, especially if they are showing odd behavior – such as being out during daytime or acting aggressively.”

People bitten by wild animals or strays should seek immediate medical attention and contact their county health department and local animal control and/or law enforcement. “They should not attempt to catch the animal themselves,” Tanner stressed. “The authorities will handle that so that it can be tested for rabies.”

Rabies is fatal in humans if untreated, but almost 100% preventable in humans when prompt action is taken.

 Dogs and cats three months old and older should be vaccinated against rabies. Pet ferrets should also receive rabies inoculations, as should valuable livestock, Tanner said.

For more information about rabies, contact your local health department or go on-line to
www.southwestgeorgiapublichealth.org.

(WALB-TV - Apr 2, 2015)

Cat Bites Brookings Co. Man, Tests Positive For Rabies

SOUTH DAKOTA -- A feral cat in Brookings County has tested positive for rabies. A Brookings Animal Control Officer says it was euthanized, but not before the cat bit someone just south of town.

On the evening of March 5, Animal Control Officer Duane Walburg says he was called to a home in Southbrook Estates.

Walburg said, "The cat was still loose in the residence."

A feral cat had found it's way inside a man's home.

"He had a dog in the house and evidently the dog was going after the cat, he grabbed the cat to protect it," said Walburg.

Walburg says the cat bit the man's hands.

"We set up a live trap for the cat and caught the cat the following day," Walburg said.

The cat was euthanized and taken to SDSU for testing. After the results came back inconclusive, SDSU sent them to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. Those results came back positive for rabies.

"You know we get the occasional skunk and so on and so forth," said Walburg. "I've been doing this for 28 years. This is the second positive cat I've had."

Walburg says the man was notified to get the proper shots. Signs have also been taped on nearby homes. Walburg says they just want to notify nearby residents what happened and what to do if they encounter any wild animals.

 

"Leave stray animals alone. If you see something that's not acting right, appears to not be feeling well, do not handle it," said Walburg.

The note also says that traps will be placed throughout the area. It reads, "Any cat captured will be euthanized."

Walburg says it can be hard to tell if an animal has rabies, depending on what stage it is. He say the cat he encountered was wild, but wasn't aggressive. He says that's why it's important not to handle any stray animals and keep your animal's vaccinations up to date.

If you see an animal that's behaving strange or is sick in Brookings County, you're asked to the call the sheriff's office or animal control. Again, they're asking residents not to touch any stray animals.

(KDLT - March 17, 2015)

75-year-old animal lover forced to strangle rabid raccoon

VIRGINIA -- The 75-year-old woman who killed a rabid raccoon that attacked her at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden said she did what she had to do.

Cass Overton, a garden volunteer, credited her tai chi training and meditation for keeping her calm and focused when the rabid animal grabbed her leg.

“I was looking up at birds, because I am a birder and when I looked down, this animal was coming at me already,” Overton recounted days after Saturday’s attack. “I started to walk backward and it lunged at my leg.”

 

Overton said the rabid raccoon grabbed her pant leg and started to scrape her knee. She tried to back away, but realized that was not going to work. That is when, she said, her own animal instinct took over

“I got it by the neck with both hands,” she said. “I realized it was so violent, that I couldn’t throw it off and then expect that it would not be right after me. So, I knew what I had to do. I had to choke it.”
She grabbed the animal by its neck, threw it to the ground and put her knee on its neck until the raccoon stopped breathing.

“It took about five minutes, before the deed was done,” Overton said. “It looked so much like my last dog, that upset me. But I guess something primitive just kicked in and there was nothing I could do but simply take it out.”

Overton was able to get help from garden staff and applauded the efforts of the Lakeside Volunteer Rescue Squad and Henrico Animal Control for their quick response. Later, at St. Mary’s Hospital, the reality of what happened to her set in and she said she started to cry.

“I knew what I was doing,” the professed animal lover said. “It wasn’t that I went into some altered state of consciousness. I was very focused. Not shaken, until after it was over.”

Overton is in the midst of a series of rabies shots. She cautioned others to be alert and aware of their surroundings.

A message Lewis Ginter staff echoed after the raccoon incident.

“Our visitors safety is our first priority,” garden spokeswoman Beth Monroe said. She added the footpath where Overton killed the raccoon was closed  until garden staff deemed it safe to reopen.

“We’re just encouraging people to stay on the main pathways to not feed any wildlife,” Monroe said. “And that’s a really key thing. That was not the case in this particular instance. But it is never a good idea to feed wildlife.”

Anyone who came in contact with the raccoon, or any rabid animal, was asked to call the Henrico Health Department at 804-501-4529 or the Henrico County Animal Control Office at 804-501-5000.

(Fox13 - March 12, 2015)

Yes, rodents do get rabies

VERMONT -- A woodchuck that bit a South Road resident over the weekend has been confirmed as having rabies, according to Williston police.

After being bitten, the resident killed the animal and brought it to the Vermont Health Department Lab where it tested positive for rabies, police said.

Police said Williston's animal control officer urges residents to vaccinate their pets and livestock. Residents should be cautious about approaching wildlife.

For more information or if an animal is acting strange, residents should call the rabies hotline at 1-800-472-2437.

(Burlington Free Press - July 22, 2014)

Deadly rabid skunk walked into local woman’s life

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)

Kitten's bite pains cat lover in more ways than one

VIRGINIA -- Rosa Duke has recently learned that handling stray animals can have painful and expensive consequences.

The Jenkins Mill Road resident in Isle of Wight County is undergoing a series of rabies shots after a 2-1/2 month-old kitten she tried to rescue severely bit and scratched her earlier this week. Duke said this experience has been hurtful emotionally as well as physically.

“I’ve never had a cat to bite me before,” said the 73-year-old. “I love cats. I always have.”

Her son had first alerted Duke to the presence of the animal outside.

“It was dropped off Sunday and I tried to get it from a shed on Monday. I could hear it mewing,” she said. “I wish I hadn’t put my hands on him, he wouldn’t turn me loose. I learned the hard way. Why in the world I didn’t think to take a fishing net.”

IOW Animal Control was called and came out to get the kitten, which is being quarantined for 10 days. The officers are watching for signs of rabies, which can be fatal to both animals and humans if not treated in a timely way.

“I feel so sorry for him I don’t know what to do,” added Duke.

The attack hasn’t diminished her fondness for the animals, but it has reaffirmed her decision to no longer accept cats that people drop off at her home. Duke’s aware that over the years she’d gained a reputation as an animal lover. That, she thinks, has encouraged area residents in the past to abandon their cats — no one’s ever left dogs — on her lawn rather than take them to the SPCA or Animal Control.

“I just don’t understand why people do that,” she said. “I don’t want any more cats. I can’t take care of them. I’m just too old now to raise animals.”

When Trixie II dies, that will be her last dog, added Duke. A couple of her cats in the past were named Oreo I and Oreo II. The first was black with a round spot.

“He looked like an Oreo cookie,” she said with a warm chuckle.

Before this week’s incident, Duke would set out food if she saw an abandoned or stray cat on her property. If the animal took to it, she knew it was approachable. Once it was clear the feline was there to stay, she took it for spaying or neutering and rabies shots.

Duke said she wants to share her experience not only because she can’t take care of abandoned cats and dogs, but also to urge people to take responsibility for their own pets.

“They should take them to the SPCA if they can’t handle them, rather than drop them off,” Duke said, adding that’s her preference over animal control. “I’ve seen ‘em fed, died, buried. I didn’t kill them.”

Meanwhile, she’s enduring the vaccinations and they haven’t been pleasant for her.
“The shots make you sick,” she said.

Contacted about Duke’s painful episode, three animal control directors in Western Tidewater each said that demonstrated a lesson they want to get across to the public:

“You should never attempt to handle animals you know don’t belong to you,” said IOW Chief Animal Control Officer Larry Wilson. “For all intents and purposes, they’ll react with claws and teeth. So it’s imperative to attempt to trap versus handle.”

Wilson’s department has traps available for the weekdays, and tells people to place them in a shady part of the yard and provide water, “especially this time of year with the heat and sudden rain showers.”

He or staff member can come out Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to pick them up if an animal is caught. This service is not available on weekends, though.

He urges parents to teach their children in particular not to approach or pick up cats or dogs. Kittens, added Wilson, can have even nastier bites than the adults.

“You just can’t take for granted they were somebody’s pets,” he said.

Southampton Animal Control Officer David Joyner also asks people to contact his department if they come across either a stray domesticated animal or wildlife.

“We recommend they call and let us handle it,” said Joyner. He explained that catching or trapping the animals means these can be tested for rabies.

“If I can’t find it, there’s no way of knowing,” he said.

If the animal runs off after a person has been hurt, then rabies vaccines will most likely be needed.
“Waiting is never a good choice,” added Wilson.

The symptoms of rabies in animals can become evident within 10 days, and up to six months before people can show signs, Joyner said.

The virus is not contagious until it reaches the animal’s brain.

“Once it’s in the brain, there’s no cure,” he said.

In his experience, Officer Roy Richards of Franklin Animal Control rarely deals with wildlife, such as foxes, raccoons and skunks.

“Maybe two cases a year. Usually they’re picked up dead,” he said. “They’re not often picked up alive.”

An immunized pet that’s been exposed will get quarantined for 10 days and given booster shots.
Richards cited state law that any dog or cat with an expired vaccination that is exposed could be quarantined in a double cage and no contact with humans for six months.

As mentioned earlier, the cost of rabies shots for people can be high. He said a booster shot for a human previously immunized can cost $500 to $600. The rabies shots — a series of four on the first, seventh, 14th and 21st day — can cost $1,500. The vaccinations are no longer given in the stomach; three are in an arm, and one in the hip.

(Tidewater News - Jul 18, 2014)