Warmer weather means more outdoor fun and an increase in wildlife encounters, one of which could be infected with rabies.
Emily Rushton, state furbearer biologist for Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said knowing what wildlife species carry rabies is key.
“Technically, any mammal is susceptible to rabies,” said Rushton. “The most common species are raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes.”
Rushton said there are several different variants of the rabies virus.
“The two most common variants are the one that specifically affects raccoons,” she said. “And the one that affects bats. Obviously, all of these can spill over into other species. But the one that circulates among raccoons can be transmitted to foxes, skunks, and any mammals. But the one that is commonly transmitted to foxes is the raccoon variant.”
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Know the signs of rabies
“They’ll either be acting very aggressive or sickly; so any sort of unusual aggression, attacking pets,” said Rushton. “Also, if the animal seems afraid and is stumbling around. Those are the more common symptoms.”
Physical signs, according to experts with the American Veterinary Medical Association, include:
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Rabid animals may drool excessively, sometimes with frothy saliva.
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Swallowing might be difficult or painful, leading to drooling.
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Rabid animals may develop partial or complete paralysis.
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In some cases, rabid animals may exhibit seizures or convulsions.
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Animals may show weakness, stagger, or fall over.
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Rabid animals may have difficulty breathing or choke.
Terri McCollister, rabies program manager with the South Carolina Department of Public Health, said rabies is an ancient virus.
“Rabies is 100% fatal if not treated before symptoms start,” said McCollister. “And its been around since the Babylonian timeframe.”
McCollister added, “It’s very much alive and active everywhere. And the CDC reports that around 70,000 people die from rabies worldwide every year. That’s one person every seven minutes. The majority of those deaths are, unfortunately, children under the age of 15 in countries where they don’t have rabies vaccination programs for dogs and cats.”
McCollister said the rabies virus is only present in saliva and neural tissue.
“Rabies is usually transferred through a bite,” she said. “But scratches could potentially open up the skin to allow saliva to get into that wound. We do consider a bite or a scratch or any kind of saliva exposure to mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth or or an open wound on someone’s body as a potential for exposure.”
‘Rabies is an urgency, not an emergency’
If you signs of rabies, don’t delay.
“Rabies is an urgency, not an emergency,” said McCollister. “We have time to make decisions. So it’s not like we have to run straight to the ER right away. If there is an animal available, testing it when there’s a person or pet exposed is recommended.”
Next steps
If you believe an animal has been exposed to rabies, there are steps to follow.
“If the animal is available and deceased they need to keep it cold, not frozen,” said McCollister. “So put it in a trash bag, place it in an old cooler or a Rubbermaid container of some sort. Then put some ice on it to keep it cold.
“Contact us if it’s still alive. They can reach out to either local animal control or local Department of Natural Resources to assist with having the animal transported safely to a local veterinarian to assist with euthanizing it.”
Rabies symptoms
Symptoms of rabies in people can take some time to show and can be mistaken for the flu or other illnesses.
“So that’s why it’s so important if somebody is exposed to a wild animal, or even a domestic animal, that they do seek treatment at either their physician’s office or the local emergency room or urgent care,” said McCollister.
McCollister said it’s important that pet owners keep their pets up to date on rabies vaccines.
“By South Carolina law, all dogs, cats and parents should be vaccinated at a frequency that provides continuous protection,” said McCollister. “Don’t feed, touch or approach wild or stray animals. Don’t leave exposed trash or pet food outside. This attracts wild animals. We also recommend keeping pets indoors at night.”
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners.
Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Bats, racoons, foxes top species more prone to carrying rabies
