RABIES PREVENTION

The following precautions should be observed in environments where humans and animals may likely come into contact.

• Domesticated animals, including household pets, should be vaccinated against rabies. Semi-annual booster shots are required to maintain immunity.
• Wild animals should not be touched or petted, no matter how friendly an animal may appear. It is also important not to touch an animal that appears ill or passive, or whose behavior seems odd, such as failing to show the normal fear of humans. These are all possible signs of rabies. Many animals, such as raccoons and skunks, are nocturnal and their activity during the day should be regarded as suspicious.
• Do not interfere with fights between animals.
• Because rabies is transmitted through saliva, a person should wear rubber gloves when handling a pet that has had an encounter with a wild animal.
• Windows and doors should be screened. Some victims of rabies have been attacked by infected animals, particularly bats, that entered through unprotected openings.
• State or county health departments should be consulted for information about the prevalence of rabies in an area. Some areas, such as New York City, have been rabies-free, only to have the disease reintroduced at a later time.
• Preventative vaccination against rabies should be considered if you are in an occupation that involves frequent contact with wild animals or non-immunized domestic animals.
• Bites from mice, rats, or squirrels rarely require rabies prevention because these rodents are typically killed by any encounter with a larger, rabid animal, and would, therefore, not be carriers.
• If traveling, ask about the prevalence of the disease in the area because rabies is more prevalent in other countries.