Press Releases

Awareness, Caution is Key to Preventing Rabies Infection, Without Vaccination Pets and Livestock also at Risk

More than 200 rabid animals discovered in Maryland to date

Department of Health & Mental Hygiene News Release

Baltimore (July 30, 2009) -- The summer is in full swing so people and their pets are enjoying more time outdoors. Therefore, the risk of rabies transmission from animals to people is at its highest this time of year according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH).

“Rabies is a preventable disease that most people think little about until they’re exposed and then it’s a race against time,” said John M. Colmers, DHMH Secretary. “The rabies virus is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, so vigilance and caution around animals is the best way to avoid exposure.”

Rabies is most commonly found among wildlife such as raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes, but can be transmitted to domestic animals. In Maryland, more than 200 animals have been diagnosed with rabies this year including 11 cats and one horse.

“People should take special precautions if their pet encounters a wild animal,” says Kim Mitchell, DHMH Chief of Rabies and Vector-borne Diseases. “Avoid touching your pet with your bare hands immediately after an encounter and call your local health department immediately. Anyone who has had contact with a pet or a wild animal that they suspect might have rabies should consult with their health care provider as soon as possible. Rabies is a very serious disease that can be prevented with prompt medical assessment and timely vaccination following exposure.”

When a person is bitten by or exposed to saliva of a rabid animal, the disease is prevented with a five dose rabies vaccine series administered over a period of 28 days and a dose of rabies immunoglobulin given at the beginning of the series.

In Maryland, the last known case of rabies in a person occurred in 1976, despite hundreds of exposures to rabid animals annually. Each year, approximately 900 Marylanders receive preventive vaccinations after exposure to a rabid or potentially rabid animal.

Animals with rabies often show changes in behavior. Wild animals may act friendly, domestic animals may become aggressive, and animals that are active only at night may appear during the day. Rabid animals may stagger, drool, or become paralyzed. The diagnosis of rabies is made by examining brain tissue from the suspected rabid animal.

To prevent your exposure to rabies:

Have your dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, sheep, and cattle vaccinated against rabies.
Keep your pet under your control at all times, especially when traveling.
Enjoy wildlife from a distance and do not feed wildlife.
Avoid sick animals and any that are acting in an unusual manner.
Cover garbage cans securely and do not leave pet food outside.
Do not relocate wildlife.
Prevent bats from entering your home. If you find a bat in your home, do not touch it.

Only let it go if you are sure no people or household pets have had any contact with it. If it is alive, you can catch it by placing a small box, bowl, or can over the bat once it has landed to roost, and then slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container and contact your local health department or animal control agency.

If you or your pet has been exposed to a rabid or suspected rabid domestic animal, get the owner’s name, address and telephone number. Contact your local health department or animal control agency in the event of an exposure.

Additional information about rabies can be found at: http://edcp.org/vet_med/rabies.html.