Watch out for wild animals: Rabies prevention tips

Each year, as many as 40,000 people are treated with anti-rabies vaccines in the United States because of a potential exposure to disease from animals.

"Rabies is a nearly uniformly fatal disease in humans, and it may be up to a year after exposure before symptoms develop," said Dr. Jane Siegel, a UT Southwestern Medical Center pediatric infectious disease expert on the medical staff at Children's. "At that time, a diagnosis may not be possible and therefore no reliable medical treatment. Prevention is key for infections like this."

With kids out of school for the summer and more time spent outdoors, families should educate themselves about rabies and caution their children about the possibility of exposure. Follow this advice from the Food and Drug Administration:

• Enjoy wildlife from a distance. More than 90 percent of animal rabies cases have been found in wild animals, including bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes. Bites from bats are the main cause of rabies in humans in the United States.
• Do not approach a stray animal — report it to your local animal control agency.
• Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all cats, dogs and ferrets.Vaccinations help prevent pets from getting rabies from wild animals and then transmitting it to people. Even indoor pets should have rabies vaccinations. Many communities sponsor low-cost rabies vaccination clinics for pets. Check with your local animal control agency.
• Supervise your pets so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance immediately, even if the pet has been vaccinated against rabies.
• Keep lids on garbage cans, and don't leave pet food outside overnight.

If your child is bitten or scratched

If your child is bitten or scratched by an animal, immediately wash the wound with soap and water for at least five minutes (and with an iodine-based antiseptic, if available) and get medical help at once. Also, report the bite to your local health department. If the animal can be confined for observation, make that happen.

Talk to a healthcare provider, travel clinic or health department about the risk of exposure to rabies before traveling abroad. Be especially careful around dogs in developing countries. Wild dogs in those areas are the largest source of animal bites leading to rabies shots worldwide.

Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration

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