Rabies outbreak has area vets concerned
Staff reporter
Many people classify rabies in the same category as polio and rubella — we know it's still around but don't worry about it too much.
Veterinarian Brendan Kraus of Spur Ridge Veterinary Hospital of Florence wants people to be on full alert.
"I've had three confirmed cases of rabies in animals in the past month," Kraus said.
Skunks are common carriers of rabies and come in contact with household pets and livestock.
Humans then come in contact with the cat, dog, or horse that had been exposed to the rabid skunk which can infect humans.
Veterinarian Jessica Laurin of Animal Health Center of Marion County also has encountered rabies in animals with one confirmed case of a rabid skunk this past week.
"We've seen more cases this year than in previous years," Laurin said.
She also is concerned about humans handling animals that aren't vaccinated that may have been exposed to rabies.
Kraus recommends animal owners check their pets and livestock rabies vaccination records to make sure they are current.
"The disease is fatal for those animals that are not vaccinated," Kraus said, and then it can be passed on to humans.
Kraus said 80 percent of the skunks tested at Kansas State University were rabid which could mean at least that many in the wild also are rabid.
Laurin recommends that cats and dogs be vaccinated within a year between their first and second vaccinations.
"Most vaccines are labeled for three years," Laurin said, before inoculation is necessary but with the recent outbreak she recommends pet owners have boosters every two years.
If a pet is seen in contact with or has killed a wild animal, it is best to have the wild animal tested. If the pet is not vaccinated and the wild animal tests positive for rabies, the pet is either quarantined for six months or euthanized, Kraus said.
Veterinarian Norman Galle of Hillsboro was contacted but was not available to respond to the request for information.
What is rabies?
Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported each year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention occur in wild animals like skunks, raccoons, bats, and foxes.
Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, headache, and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.
According to the CDC, human fatalities associated with rabies occur when people fail to seek medical attention.
Pre-exposure vaccination is recommended for those in high-risk groups such as veterinarians, animal handlers, and certain laboratory workers.
The best way for most people to deal with the outbreak is to have their pets and livestock vaccinated.
