Baltimore (June 25, 2008) -- With summer in full swing and people spending more time outdoors, the risk of rabies transmission from animals to people is at its highest for the year according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Rabies is a viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, said DHMH Secretary John M. Colmers. Vigilance and caution around animals is the best way to avoid exposure to rabies.
The last case of rabies in a person in Maryland occurred in 1976, despite hundreds of exposures to rabid animals each year in the State. When a person is bitten by a rabid animal, the disease is prevented with a five dose rabies vaccine series administered over a period of 28 days and a dose of rabies immunoglobulin given at the beginning of the treatment. Each year, approximately 900 Marylanders receive treatment after being exposed to a rabid or potentially-rabid animal.
Currently, rabies vaccine for humans is in limited supply. The decision to administer anti-rabies treatment after exposure to an animal that is not available for observation or testing is made after a careful and thorough assessment of the risk. Rabies vaccines for animals are still fully available, and pets should continue to be vaccinated on a regular schedule.
In Maryland, over 200 animals have already been diagnosed with rabies this year. Rabies is most commonly found in raccoons, skunks, foxes, cats, bats, and groundhogs. Animals with rabies often show changes in behavior such as wild animals may act friendly, domestic animals may become aggressive, and animals that are active only at night may appear during the day. Rabid animals may stagger, drool, or become paralyzed. The diagnosis of rabies is made by examining brain tissue from the suspected rabid animal.
To prevent the need for rabies treatment:
- Do not touch, interact with, or feed wildlife or animals that are unknown to you.
- Avoid sick animals and any that are acting in an unusual manner.
- Have your dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, sheep, and cattle vaccinated against rabies.
- Do not let your pets roam free.
- Teach children to stay away from wild animals and animals they dont know.
- Cover garbage cans securely and do not leave pet food outside.
- Prevent bats from entering your home. If you find a bat in your home, do not touch it. Only let it go if you are absolutely sure no people or household pets have had any contact with it. If it is alive, you can catch it by placing a small box, bowl, or can over the bat once it has landed to roost, and then slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container and contact your local health department.
- If you or your pet has been exposed to a rabid or suspected rabid domestic animal, get the owners name, address and telephone number.
- Contact your local health department or animal control agency in the event of an exposure.
Additional information about rabies can be found at:
