The last confirmed cases of rabies in Champaign County was reported in 2013, according to the CHD. It was also found in a wild bat.
The rabies virus is found in the saliva and brain of an infected animal. The most common way people are exposed to rabies is from an animal bite, according to the CHD. In order to determine whether an animal has the virus, the brain tissue must be tested by the ODH.
Most rabies cases occur in wildlife, according to the CHD, however, house pets can become infected if they are bitten by a rabid wild animal, including bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.
The best way to protect pets from rabies, according to the CHD, is to: maintain wellness visits for your pets and keep vaccinations up-to-date, keep pets indoors and make sure pets are under direct supervision when outdoors, spay and neuter pets to reduce the number of unwanted pets that may go unvaccinated, call animal control to remove stray animals and contact your veterinarian if your animals get into a fight with a wild animal.
“The rabies vaccination is extremely effective,” Dr. Amber Singh, Ohio Department of Health Veterinarian said. “The vaccine is the best tool for rabies prevention and animals that are vaccinated rarely go on to develop the rabies virus.”
The CHD is also reminding residents that Ohio law requires that bite incident reports be made to the health commissioner in the local health jurisdiction where the bite occurred when the person is bitten by an animal, specifically mammals.
The report should be made within 24 hours of the bite, according to the CHD. The local health department will then complete a rabies exposure risk assessment.
When making a bite report, the health district asks residents to be prepared with the following information: description of the biting animal, owner of the animal, person exposed, location of where the bite happened, rabies vaccination status of the animal (if known) and how the bite occurred.
About the Author
