BATH -With a sharp increase in the number of people needing to start rabies treatment in Steuben County since January, the county Public Health Department urges residents to avoid contact with wild animals and to know what to do if contact takes place. "Most of our reports are about undomesticated animals, like bats, raccoons and stray cats," said Darlene Smith, Public Health Director. "We don’t want to alarm anyone, but we are trying to educate people on the need to not handle wild animals." It is rare for a person in the United States to die of rabies, due to strong public health practices, according to Smith. But rabies is a fatal virus when treatment is not given before symptoms start, she said.
Rabies investigations in Steuben between January and July 15 have led to 50 cases needing the life-saving treatment PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). Current numbers are more than double the 20 cases reported during the same period in 2017. "There are many investigations that do not need the PEP treatment," Smith said. "But if PEP is necessary, it saves lives." Once an animal bite or contact is reported to Steuben’s Public Health, a nurse contacts the person who has been exposed and asks for more details:
· Has the person been bitten or touched saliva or nervous tissue?
· If the animal is current on the rabies shots, the animal can be watched for a set time. If the animal stays healthy during that time, the person does not need treatment.
· If the biting animal is wild, and can be captured and tested for rabies, and the results are negative, no treatment is needed.
· If the test results are positive for rabies, PEP is needed to protect the person from dying from rabies.
The PEP treatment consists of a series of shots, with the first given in the wound site and the rest given in the arm during a couple of weeks.
The increase in cases of rabies exposure in Steuben in 2018 is due to a variety of animals, according to the county Public Health report. Raccoons have accounted for 18 people needing PEP to prevent rabies. Eight people were exposed to one infected raccoon. Eleven people received PEP because of stray cats, and eight people received PEP due to dogs whose owners were unknown. Two people were treated because of foxes; one person due to a skunk. Steuben Public Health also reported 10 people have received PEP due to bat exposure in 2018. "Every year, the number of people receiving PEP increases sharply due to exposure to bats in the late summer," Smith said. "Bats have extremely tiny teeth, so it is very important to catch a bat if a person wakes up to a bat in their room. Catching and testing the bat may save people from needing to receive treatment." In Steuben, animal bites should be reported to an on-call county Public Health nurse at any time by calling (607) 664-2438 during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and calling (800) 836-4444 after hours. A nurse is always on call.
** RESOURCES AND INFORMATION:
· Video on how to catch a bat at https://youtu.be/_YhnV5WJQBA.
· Basic rabies prevention. Don’t feed, touch, or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats. If a wild animal is nearby, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors, and alert neighbors. Don’t try to separate two fighting animals. Wear gloves handling a pet after a fight. If there is any concern about rabies exposure, keep the animal for rabies testing.
· Ensure pets are up to date on their rabies vaccines. Dogs, cats, and other domestic or farm animals (mammals) should be vaccinated starting at 12 weeks of age. The initial rabies vaccine is valid for one year. After that, rabies vaccines are valid for three years with proof of prior vaccination.
· Free local rabies clinics can be found at https://www.steubencony.org/Files/Documents/publichealth/rabiesclinic2018.pdf
