Raccoons And Foxes And Bats, Oh My!

Rabies In Our Backyard

Recently, a rabid skunk was discovered in a residential neighborhood right here in Amesbury. (Click here to see the story.) While rabid animals are not new to Massachusetts (nearly 5,000 animals have tested positive since 1992), this case serves as a perfect example of why everyone should be educated about this deadly disease. What if a little kid had tried to pick up this poor, sick skunk? That is a scary thought! Rabies kills more than 55,000 people worldwide every year. That is more than three times the population of our little town of Amesbury! Prevention is key, both in the form of appropriate vaccinations and reducing exposure. I want all of you to understand this deadly disease and some of the associated regulations, so you can better understand how to protect yourselves, your families and your pets.

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system. It is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, either through a bite or through contact with an open wound. When the rabies virus enters the body, it travels up along the nerves until it reaches the brain. The timeline to reaching the brain varies depending on the individual or what part of the body was bitten, but it can take less than a week to more than a year. Once it affects the brain itself, you will see some of the classic clinical signs - fearfulness, aggression, drooling, difficult swallowing, seizures or other unusual behavior. After reaching the brain, the virus then travels to the salivary glands and begins replicating. It is at this time that the animal becomes able to infect others. Once an animal begins to show signs, death occurs within 10 days. There is no treatment.

Only mammals can contract rabies, but ANY mammal can carry rabies. We typically think of foxes, skunks, raccoons, coyotes and bats as possible rabies carriers, but even rabbits, deer, woodchucks, or porcupines are suspect. Our own cats and dogs present the greatest risk to us because we have the closest contact with our pets. And 95% of the world's rabies cases are caused by dog bites. Our horses and livestock are also at risk since they spend their lives outside in barns or fields and are more likely to come into contact with an infected wild animal. In fact, when I worked at a dairy farm in undergrad, two cows on the farm died of rabies. Best we could figure, a rabid animal had likely wandered into the barn and bitten the two cows. We all had to go through post-exposure rabies treatment and let me tell you, that was NOT a fun experience. Now, would you suspect a cow of having rabies? Cows are not usually top on the list for potential rabies suspects! But how many of you have cats that go outside unsupervised? Ever had a bat in the house? Your dogs ever get sprayed by a skunk or attack a porcupine? These situations are all possible ways that we or our pets could be exposed to rabies. This is why it is so important to keep our pets up to date with their rabies vaccinations. We cannot always know when our outdoor cats fight with a rabid animal or whether that woodchuck your dog just killed had rabies. If you make sure your pets are up to date and protected from rabies, you can be more confident that YOU are protected as well. Keeping your pets inside also lowers their exposure risk (not to mention protects them from a variety of outdoor dangers!).

We can also protect and educate our families about prevention and common sense regarding wild animals. Even if a wild animal is acting "normal", stay away from it. The signs of rabies are not always so apparent. Do not keep wild animals as pets. Not only is this illegal in most states, it poses great risk for rabies and other transmissible diseases. Keep trash well secured so as not to encourage animals to come looking for handouts. Bat-proof your home and other structures to prevent bats from nesting and having access to your family. And the common sense should apply for domestic animals too. Don't go up to any strange dog or cat, because they might bite you. If you don't know who owns a horse or goat, don't go up and feed it treats, letting it slobber all over your hands. Yes, this is all just plain common sense, but it is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family, not only from rabies but from other zoonotic diseases. (A zoonotic disease is one that is transmissible from animals to people such as ringworm, Leptosporosis, Toxoplasmosis or Salmonella.)

So, what do you do if you have been exposed to or bitten by an animal? First, don't panic. Wash any wound or bite with soap and water. Call your physician immediately and explain the situation. They may recommend you receive post-exposure treatment (FYI, this does NOT involve a needle in the stomach anymore, never fear!). If possible, confine or capture the animal ONLY if you can do so safely. Once confined, do not go near it again and call your local animal control. If you cannot confine it, try to remember its appearance and where it went after biting you. Also report the bite to the local health department. Hopefully, you never have to face this situation. But if you do and for some crazy reason, the animal must be killed to capture it or prevent it from attacking again, do not damage the head! The brain is needed to test for rabies.

And what if your pet has direct contact with a wild animal or comes home with a wound? This is why it is REALLY important to keep your pet up-to-date with their rabies vaccination. By law, all cats, dogs or ferrets must be vaccinated for rabies. There are big differences in regulations regarding a currently vaccinated animal versus a non-vaccinated or overdue animal. For example, if your cat gets comes home with several wounds or bites and they are currently vaccinated, the rabies vaccine is boostered immediately and they are confined for 45 days. If they are NOT currently vaccinated (ie. overdue), they must be either euthanized or quarantined for SIX months according to both Massachusetts and New Hampshire law. Most folks wouldn't elect to euthanize their pet, but the thought of quarantining an outdoor cat for a whole six months inside is rather daunting! We see this scenario quite frequently and let me tell you, people are bummed out when they realize they must quarantine their cat for six months. So, please vaccinate your pets! And FYI, the ONLY way to test for rabies is to remove the head and send it off to be tested. We cannot test live animals for this disease.

Now, if your pet bites a person, they must be quarantined for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status. This 10 day period exists because of the manner in which rabies is transmitted. An infected animal can only transmit rabies if the virus has already reached the brain and is now being produced in the saliva. Remember, once the virus reaches the brain, the animal will die within 10 days. Therefore, if your pet does not die or show any neurological signs within those 10 days, it could not have transmitted rabies at the time of the bite. Make sense? However, if you elect to euthanize your pet within those 10 days, it MUST be tested for rabies. These laws are designed to protect us and dictate who needs to get post-exposure rabies vaccinations.

We do not fool around with rabies. It is a very serious and deadly disease. A handful of people in the United States die of this disease every year. Remember to use common sense when it comes to wildlife and keep your pets' rabies vaccine status current. Rabies is out there. It is in your backyard and could very easily get into your house.