ph advisory - rabies indian lake 3 2013

7/29/2019 Ph Advisory - Rabies Indian Lake 3 2013

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1 ST. MARYS PLACE, DENVILLE, NJ 07834

Date of Release: March 20, 2013

RABIES PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY

Dear Denville Township Resident,

As you may be aware through recent media reports, an Indian Lake area resident was recentlybitten by a raccoon. Residents are reminded of the following:

Do not feed wildlife or stray animals. Garbage containing food waste kept outdoors must beplaced in waste receptacles with lids. Pet food placed outdoors should be immediatelyremoved and placed indoors after feeding and removed entirely before sunset. Keeping petfood outdoors could potentially result in interactions between your pet(s) and wildlife or strayanimals which may be rabid.

Do not approach or handle wild or stray animals that are behaving aggressively, appear sick,or appear injured. If you encounter or observe such wild or stray animals, contact theDenville Police Departments Animal Control Officer at 973-627-4900 ext. 4 or 973-627-4900ext. 9 immediately.

Report any bites or injuries inflicted by wild or stray animals to people or domestic animalsimmediately to the Denville Police Department at the number indicated in the second bulletabove. Seek prompt medical attention for any bite or injuries inflicted by wild or stray animals(or veterinary attention if a domestic animal is bitten or injured).

Ensure that your pet is vaccinated against rabies. Free rabies clinics are routinely providedthroughout Morris County. Information on clinics can be found at the following web address:

http://www.morrishumanservices.org/health/clinicsrabies.asp

When selecting a rabies clinic from the web address, it is best to call the municipalityproviding the clinic before attending to ascertain if there are any specific or specialrequirements for attending the clinic.

The following pages provide frequently asked questions and answers concerning rabies. If yourequire additional information, please contact the Denville Health Department at (973) 625-8300 ext261.

TOWNSHIP OF DENVILLECARLOS PEREZ, JR. LAURA DECKERHealth Officer Environmental Health SpecialistExt. 268 Ext. 260

KATHLEEN SCOLLANS PEGGY GROSSMANCertified Municipal Registrar Public Health NurseExt. 266 Ext. 264

NANCY KOPTULASecretaryExt. 261

Office Phone 973-625-8300 Office Fax: 973-627-8371

Division of Health


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Frequently Asked Questions About Rabies

What is rabies?Rabies (ray-beez), is a deadly disease caused by a virus. The virus is found in the saliva of a rabid

animal and is transmitted by a bite, or possibly by saliva contamination of an open cut or the eyes.Left untreated, rabies attacks the nervous system and causes death.

What animals get rabies?Only mammals, including people, can get rabies. Rabies occurs most often in wildlife, particularlyraccoons, bats, skunks, groundhogs, and foxes. These animals represent 95% of the cases in theUnited States. In New J ersey (NJ ), cats account for the vast majority of domestic animal rabiescases. Farm animals, dogs, and other domestic pets can also become infected so take measures tokeep wild animals from entering houses, barns and garages. Small rodents such as rats, mice,chipmunks, and squirrels are rarely infected. (NOTEIt is illegal in NJ to keep wildlife as pets).Rabid animals are usually either vicious and aggressive, or may appear to be drunk and havetrouble walking. Some animals may be rabid even though they appear to be normal. People shouldstay away from all wild and stray animals which are aggressive or appear to be sick.

What should I do if I am bitten by an animal? Clean the wound immediately with soap and water. Seek prompt medical attention from a physician or hospital emergency department. Report the bite to the local health department.

If you are bitten by a wild animal:

Try to contain the animal while taking care to prevent additional bites and exposure to saliva.Contact the animal control officer or local police for assistance. In the event the animal is

euthanized (put to sleep), care should be taken to avoid damage to the brain, which should besubmitted to the state rabies laboratory for testing.

Human treatment to prevent rabies may be started immediately or delayed until the testingresults are known.

If the animal is not available for testing, the decision to start human treatment will be made bythe bite victim and his/her physician based on recommendations by the local health department.If you are bitten by a dog, cat, or other domestic animal:

Obtain information about the pet including owners name, phone, address, description of theanimal, and its vaccination status.

Biting animals should be ordered observed for 10 days by the local health department to ensurethat they are free of rabies. If showing signs of rabies, the animal should be euthanizedimmediately and tested. If the animal dies during the observation period, it must be submitted for

testing. Bites from other domestic animals (such as horses, cows, goats, and sheep) will be evaluated by

your local health department. The animals can usually be observed for 10 days to rule out thepossibility of rabies.

How can I protect my pets?Vaccination and animal control programs have helped to prevent rabies in most pets. It is importantto keep your dog or cat up-to-date on rabies vaccinations. Cats and dogs that spend time outdoorsmay have more risk of coming into contact with a rabid wild animal, but it is important to also


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vaccinate pets that stay indoors. In the United States, there have been more cases of rabies in catsthan in dogs in recent years. Therefore, rabies vaccination is especially important for cats. See yourveterinarian for more information on rabies vaccination or take your pets to state/municipalSsponsored rabies clinics.

What do I do if my pet has bitten someone? Urge the victim to seek medical care immediately. Check with your veterinarian to see if your pets vaccinations are up-to-date.

Report the bite to your local health department. Report any unusual illness or behavior from your pet to the local health department and

veterinarian. Dont let your pet free-roam and dont give your pet away. The animal must be available for

observation. After the recommended observation period, have your pet vaccinated for rabies if it is overdue.

What should I do if my pet has been bitten by a potentially rabid animal? Call your veterinarian immediately. Even if your pet is currently vaccinated against rabies, it will need to be vaccinated again. Unvaccinated pets exposed to a rabid animal may need to be euthanized immediately, or placed

in strict isolation for six months and then vaccinated prior to release.

How can rabies be prevented? Vaccinate your pets against rabies and keep vaccinations up-to-date. Do not feed or touch wild animals. Avoid contact with strays or pets other than your own. Report unusual behavior in stray or wild animals to municipal animal control. Report all animal bites immediately to your local health department.

What about bats? Less than 1% of bats carry rabies and human attacks by bats are extremely rare. Unusual behavior, such as a bat fluttering on the floor, or a bat flying at midday, may be signs of

rabies and is reason for particular care to avoid the bat. Whenever a bat is found in a home orbusiness, it should be contained in a room until removal by the animal control officer.

Whenever a bat is found in a home or business, it should be contained in a room until removalby the animal control officer.

Contact your veterinarian if your pet has been bitten by a bat. Take measures to keep bats out of your home:

Additional information regarding bats can be found at the following link:

http://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/rabies/documents/shouldknow_bats.pdf

Where can I get more information on rabies?

Your health care provider NJ Department of Health: http://www.nj.gov/health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov

This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation witha health care professional.

Source: NJ Department of Health(Adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Revised 01/13

ph advisory - rabies indian lake 3 2013

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