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Rabies incidents spur warnings
Published: May 19, 2007
For the second time in less than a week, a rabid wild animal has been found outside a home, causing officials to warn residents to take precautions that could save the lives of their pets and perhaps their children, too.
A raccoon that wandered into a Newbury yard on Pine Island Road, located off High Road near the Great Marsh, tested positive for the deadly virus, said Newbury Animal Inspector Alberta Nutile. The raccoon, spotted by a resident Wednesday, was drooling and acting suspiciously. It was shot by the animal control officer.
In Seabrook, a skunk that attacked and bit a dog May 10 tested positive for rabies. The attack took place in a yard on Centennial Street, about a mile north of the Salisbury town line. The dog had fortunately been vaccinated for rabies, said Health Officer Paul Garand. The dog's owner killed the skunk and had the good sense not to touch it, Garand said.
The two attacks took place about six miles apart and on opposite sides of the Merrimack River. That isn't necessarily a sign that a rabies epidemic is developing in the area, but officials say the incidents should serve as a warning that rabies is here and animals and children need to be protected.
"Any mammal can get rabies," Nutile said.
Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the nervous system. It is spread by coming in contact with the saliva of an infected animal. It is deadly for pets, while in humans it can be treated once contracted, though the treatments must be administered quickly and are extremely painful.
Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state's director of Communicable Disease Control, said the number of cases of rabies ebbs and flows each year. So far this year, number doesn't appear to be unusually high, but this is the time of year when wild animals become more active, and so the risk of rabies grows, he said.
Rabies is most prevalent in skunks and raccoons, DeMaria said, simply because they are the most common wild mammals in this region. It can also appear in foxes, coyotes and bats.
Both Nutile and DeMaria said the most important action pet owners can take is to get their dogs, cats and ferrets vaccinated for rabies. Most towns have already held their clinics this year - typically they are held early in the spring - so owners need to schedule vaccinations with their veterinarian. Rabies shots come in two types - a one-year and a three-year dose, DeMaria said.
A raccoon that wandered into a Newbury yard on Pine Island Road, located off High Road near the Great Marsh, tested positive for the deadly virus, said Newbury Animal Inspector Alberta Nutile. The raccoon, spotted by a resident Wednesday, was drooling and acting suspiciously. It was shot by the animal control officer.
In Seabrook, a skunk that attacked and bit a dog May 10 tested positive for rabies. The attack took place in a yard on Centennial Street, about a mile north of the Salisbury town line. The dog had fortunately been vaccinated for rabies, said Health Officer Paul Garand. The dog's owner killed the skunk and had the good sense not to touch it, Garand said.
The two attacks took place about six miles apart and on opposite sides of the Merrimack River. That isn't necessarily a sign that a rabies epidemic is developing in the area, but officials say the incidents should serve as a warning that rabies is here and animals and children need to be protected.
"Any mammal can get rabies," Nutile said.
Rabies is a deadly virus that attacks the nervous system. It is spread by coming in contact with the saliva of an infected animal. It is deadly for pets, while in humans it can be treated once contracted, though the treatments must be administered quickly and are extremely painful.
Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state's director of Communicable Disease Control, said the number of cases of rabies ebbs and flows each year. So far this year, number doesn't appear to be unusually high, but this is the time of year when wild animals become more active, and so the risk of rabies grows, he said.
Rabies is most prevalent in skunks and raccoons, DeMaria said, simply because they are the most common wild mammals in this region. It can also appear in foxes, coyotes and bats.
Both Nutile and DeMaria said the most important action pet owners can take is to get their dogs, cats and ferrets vaccinated for rabies. Most towns have already held their clinics this year - typically they are held early in the spring - so owners need to schedule vaccinations with their veterinarian. Rabies shots come in two types - a one-year and a three-year dose, DeMaria said.
Nutile said even indoor pets should be vaccinated as a precaution. Cats are particularly vulnerable, she said.
"Cats get it the most," Nutile said. "Dogs seem to be better at getting away."
Also, children need to be watched closely while outside. They should be taught to run for safety if they see a wild animal that appears in their backyard, Nutile and DeMaria said.
Even wild animals that appear to be tame should be avoided, because that type of behavior isn't normal.
"A rabid animal can appear docile and cute," DeMaria said. "The last thing you want to do is have your child pet a rabid animal."
Humans exposed to rabies should seek immediate medical help, DeMaria said.
BOX
Rabies affects animal behavior in various ways. Experts say to avoid wild animals that:
* Appear to be sick, or drool.
* Are aggressive.
* Seem overly tame.
* Aren't afraid of humans.
* Normally come out at night, but are appearing during the day.
