Skunk In Stone County Tests Positive For Rabies
The Stone County Health Department has confirmed that a skunk in Stone County has tested positive for rabies. The skunk was submitted for testing after it was found at a home in the Crane, Missouri area. Rabies in wild animals is on the increase in this area. We are entering the time of year when more people are bitten and otherwise injured by animals as a result of increased outdoor activities. One risk of being bitten by animals such as skunks, bats, and stray dogs and cats is that of developing rabies. Human rabies cases in the United States are not as common as they once were, thanks to modern vaccinations for dogs and cats, improved public health and animal control practices, and a more effective series of anti-rabies shots for persons bitten. However, the risk of rabies remains a potential health threat in Missouri, and persons bitten by a potentially rabid animal should seek medical evaluation immediately.
According to Pam Burnett, Administrator of the Stone County Health Department, anyone who has been bitten or scratched by an animal, particularly a stray dog or cat or a wild animal, should wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes. If possible, and without further injury, try to capture or confine the biting animal so that it can be quarantined or tested for rabies (depending upon the species of animal). If the animal is destroyed, avoid damaging the head since the brain is the only specimen that can be tested for the presence of the rabies virus. Persons should contact their physician to see if medical care (antibiotics, tetanus booster, etc.) is needed, and to have a rabies risk assessment made. They should also contact their local public health agency to seek assistance in obtaining proper disposition of the biting animal.
Rabies is a disease of mammals and is transmitted primarily through bites. Over 90% of reported rabies cases in the United States are wild animals commonly seen in neighborhoods and backyards, such as bats and skunks. Vaccinated pets provide a barrier between those animals and families, and public health experts want pet owners to know that by protecting their pets they also are protecting their loved ones.
The Stone County Health Department urges pet owners to visit their veterinarians and update their pets’ rabies vaccinations. “Pet owners need to understand how close the threat of rabies is to their families,” said Rosa Moore, Communicable Disease RN at Stone County Health Department. “It’s often as close as the skunk that walked through the back yard.”
Community Prevention
•Ensure dogs, cats, and ferrets are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations. Vaccinations are also available for horses, cattle, and sheep. The effectiveness of animal vaccines is the main reason for the nationwide decline in rabies cases among people and domestic animals.
•Keep pets under control; do not allow them to run loose.
•Avoid contact with stray pets and wild animals; do not keep wild animals or wild animal crosses as pets.
•Personal pets should not be handled without protection directly after being exposed to wildlife due to the potential for carrying residual saliva from the infected animal.
Information pertaining to rabies can be found on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website http://health.mo.gov/…/health…/communicable/rabies/index.php and the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov/rabies.
For more information on rabies in Stone County, contact Rosa Moore 417-357-6134.