Notes from Nelson

It's good for those of us in rural areas to remind ourselves of the seriousness of rabies and the necessary awareness of how to handle an outbreak of the disease should one occur. From time-to-time rabies outbreaks do occur some place in the country. A year-round awareness of rabies is necessary to help reduce our chances of exposure.

Rabies suspect animals need to be handled properly. Contact your veterinarian for proper handling precautions. The chance of exposure to rabies increases for humans and their pets as they spend more time outdoors in the warmer weather.

Health officials generally recommend all dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies at three months of age and then re-vaccinated according to specific vaccine or licensing requirements. Vaccines are also available for cattle, sheep, and horses and should be considered for livestock that are particularly valuable or have frequent contact with humans.

Being knowledgeable about animals can also protect people and their pets from rabies. Don't approach animals unless you know them. Wild animals should not be kept as pets. There is no approved rabies vaccine for wild animals.

The most common situation that requires rabies treatment is when children handle a stray cat and get scratched or bitten. The cat's history is unknown, so frequently the child has to take the rabies treatment without knowing if it is actually necessary or not. Stray cats around town can be a big concern.

Keeping your yard clean of wood piles and brush will help discourage wild animals from living there or holing up there for short periods of time.

Symptoms of rabid animals can generally be associated with any mood-altered behavior. The most common form is ferocious rabies where the animal becomes aggressive. A “dumb form” of rabies causes the animal to be docile or listless.

Rabies in wild animals is most commonly diagnosed in spring. Domestic animals are frequently diagnosed in early summer after exposure to wild animals who become active in the spring.

Cattle are probably the most common domestic animal diagnosed with rabies. A typical symptom in cattle is the “death bawl” characterized by the animal standing and constantly moaning.

Vaccinated domestic animals that have been exposed to rabies should be taken to a veterinarian and given a booster vaccination for rabies immediately. If an animal has not been vaccinated and is exposed to a rabid animal, it should be euthanized. Humans who are exposed should contact a doctor immediately.

When collecting specimens for diagnostic interpretation, it is important not to damage the brain of an exposed animal because that is the tissue needed for the rabies test.

The best advice for protecting families and pets from rabies is to avoid handling stray animals when you don't know their history and to keep your animals properly immunized.