Rabies Awareness Week in Virginia

Today begins the eighth year of the “Ask Dr. Watts” column. Thank you for welcoming me into your home through this newspaper each week. I enjoy sharing stories and advice as “your other family doctor.”

I particularly appreciate those of you who have sent me your questions over the past seven years. I try to keep our weekly visits both interesting and informative. However, I rely on you to submit your questions through the Culpeper Star-Exponent, e-mail me through ClevengersCorner.com, or just ask when we meet around town.

These days my medical and surgical activities primarily revolve around dogs, cats, and smaller pets. However, becoming a veterinarian involves broad education and experience with a wide variety of animals and public health issues. I hope you will send me questions that allow me to go beyond my daily practice and talk to you about topics ranging from marine mammals to bio-terrorism. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Today also marks the beginning of Rabies Awareness Week in Virginia. Rabies is an untreatable disease of the nervous system that leads to death.

In the United States, over 20,000 people are treated for potential rabies exposure each year. Roughly three dozen Americans die from rabies infection each decade. Nationally, 7,000-9,000 animals are detected with rabies every year, 500-600 in Virginia alone. The most common animals infected with rabies are raccoons, foxes, skunks, bats, cats, dogs, and some farm animals. In Virginia, the most common human exposure is through cats, followed closely by bats.     

People generally know when they have been bitten, but according to the Virginia Department of Heath (VDH), there are situations in which you should seek medical advice even in the absence of an obvious bite wound. If you awaken and find a bat in your room, see a bat in the room of an unattended child, or see a bat near a mentally impaired or intoxicated person, you should contact the local health department.

The VDH also strongly advises people to follow these guidelines to prevent families and pets from being exposed to rabies:

» Vaccinate all cats, dogs, ferrets, and selected livestock against rabies and keep them up to date!

» Avoid contact with wild animals or stray cats and dogs.

» Report stray animals to your local animal control agency.

» Eliminate outdoor food sources around the home.

» Keep pets confined to your property or walk them on a leash.

If your pet is attacked or bitten by a wild animal, promptly report it to your veterinarian and the local health department or animal control authorities. If your pet bites someone, the person should seek medical attention and the local health department should be contacted. Even if your pet is current on rabies vaccine, there are guidelines that should be followed. If the pet does not have a current rabies vaccine, there are much more serious ramifications.

If you have been bitten by an animal, immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and copious amounts of water. This step will significantly reduce your risk of infection. It is extremely important to promptly report the bite would to your doctor and the local health department. The VDH advises, “if possible, capture the animal under a large box or can, or at least identify it before it runs away. Don’t try to pick the animal up. If it’s a wild animal that must be killed, don’t damage the head. Call an animal control or law enforcement officer to come get it.”

If any of your pets is not currently up to date on rabies vaccine, please contact your family veterinarian. In conjunction with local veterinarians, the Humane Society of Culpeper offers a rabies vaccine voucher program and periodically sponsors low-cost rabies vaccine clinics. They can be reached at 540-727-7559 or adoptculpeperpets.org. The Culpeper County Animal Shelter also hosts local veterinarians providing low-cost rabies vaccine clinics approximately twice a year.

Dr. Watts is a companion animal general practitioner and owner of Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care. He can be reached through ClevengersCorner.com or by calling 428-1000.