April 11, 2002

Little Rock—Eight counties in Arkansas are currently under a rabies alert. The counties include Sebastian, Washington, Garland, Clark, Madison, Searcy, Howard and Baxter. A county is placed on alert status when more than three rabid animals have been found in a county within a 12-month period.

Rabies, a virus present in saliva that attacks the nervous system, is most often seen in animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes. Cats, dogs, ferrets and livestock can also develop rabies especially if they are not vaccinated.

The first sign of rabies in an animal is usually marked by a change in behavior. The animal may become unusually aggressive or tame. Staggering, convulsions, choking, frothing at the mouth and paralysis are often present. Many animals have a marked change in voice pitch, such as a muted or off-key tone. An animal usually dies within one week of demonstrating signs of rabies.

People usually are exposed to the rabies virus when an infected animal bites them. Exposure may also occur if an infected animal's saliva enters a human scratch, open cut or mucous membrane, such as the eyes, nose or mouth. 

If you think you have become exposed to an animal with rabies wash your wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately. Contact your physician and county health unit immediately and report the incident. The animal in question should be captured without damaging its head or risking further 
exposure.

If an apparently healthy domesticated dog or cat bites a person, it must be captured, confined and observed daily for 10 days following the bite. If the animal remains healthy during this period of time, it did not transmit rabies at the time of the bite. The brain tissue of all wild animals must be tested for rabies if human exposure has occurred. 

If a rabies-suspect biting animal cannot be observed or tested, or it tests positive for rabies, treatment should begin immediately. Human treatment consists of a dose of rabies immune globulin administered as soon as possible after exposure. If there is a wound, the full dose of immune globulin should be injected around the wound. The first of five doses of rabies vaccine is given at the same time, with the remaining injections given three, seven, 14 and 28 days following the initial injection.

What can people do to protect themselves against rabies?

• Do not feed, touch or adopt wild animals


• Be sure your dogs, cats and ferrets are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations


• Keep family pets indoors at night


• Bat-proof your home or summer camp in the fall or winter (The majority of human rabies cases are caused by bat bites.)


• Encourage children to immediately tell an adult if any animal bites them

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