Protect Yourself, Protect Your Pets with Rabies Vaccination

In an efforrt to raise awareness about rabies, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) would like to remind the citizens of Maryland on a few facts about rabies and rabies prevention. Rabies in humans is one hundred percent preventable through prompt appropriate medical care; yet more than 55,000 people die of the disease each year, mostly in areas of the world that still have the "dog-to-dog" type of rabies transmission. 

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. There has not been a human case of rabies in Maryland since 1976, but each year, more than 400 animals are confirmed rabid in the State and over 1,000 Maryland residents receive rabies vaccination after being exposed to a rabid animal.  All Maryland local health departments offer low-cost animal rabies vaccination clinics.

When a person is bitten by a rabid animal, the disease is prevented with a four dose rabies vaccine series administered over a period of 14 days and a dose of rabies immunoglobulin given at the beginning of the series.  Seven people received rabies post-exposure vaccines following exposure to a black and white stray kitten found on September 8 at a Ford dealership in Prince Frederick in Calvert County after the kitten was confirmed rabid by the DHMH Laboratories Administration.  

According to the DHMH, 304 animals have already been confirmed rabid in Maryland this year, including 59 rabid bats.  This is an unusually high number of rabid bats, and is more than has been reported in any other year before.  Domestic animals account for less than ten percent of the confirmed rabies cases in the State, and cats are the most commonly reported rabid domestic animal.  Wildlife species, most commonly raccoons, foxes, and bats, account for the majority of confirmed rabid animals in Maryland. 

No one can tell if an animal has rabies just by looking at it, and laboratory tests are necessary to determine if an animal has the disease. Animals with rabies may act strangely. They may be timid, shy, mad, or hostile and may try to bite people or other animals. Rabies may cause an animal to have increased saliva and drool. 

Remember these steps to protect yourself and your pets from rabies:

1. Have your dogs, cats, ferrets, and other animals vaccinated against rabies.
   
2. Do not touch, interact with, or feed wildlife or other animals that are unknown to you.
   
3. Avoid sick animals and any animals that are acting in an unusual manner.
   
4. Do not let pets roam free.
5. Teach children to stay away from wild animals and animals they don't know.
   
6. Cover garbage cans securely and do not leave pet food outside.
   
7. 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 absolutely 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.
8. 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.