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Rabies Alert Continues For North Escambia; Person Bit By Rabid Fox
September 13, 2009
A Rabies Alert continues for North Escambia after one person was bit by a rabid fox and two raccoons that bit dogs tested positive for rabies.
Robert Merritt, director of environmental health for the Escambia County Health Department, said that a dog was bitten by a rabid raccoon on Crabtree Church Road in Molino in May, and a dog was bitten by a rabid raccoon on Handy Road in Cottage Hill last month. He said a fox that bit a person somewhere in North Escambia last month also tested positive for rabies, but, due to patient privacy laws, he was not able to identify in which community the incident occurred.
The dogs bitten by the rabid raccoons were quarantined; while the person bitten by the rabid fox is undergoing treatment.
Dr. John Lanza, Director of the Escambia County Health Department today issued a rabies alert for the central to northern geographical region of Escambia County, Florida. This is in response to three wild animals that tested positive for rabies.
Escambia residents should be aware that rabies is present in the wild animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated. The public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in Escambia County. Alerts are designed to increase awareness to the public, but they should not give a false sense of security to areas that have not been named as under an alert.
This rabies alert will last for a total of 60 days and covers all of central and northern Escambia County from Muscogee Road north to the Alabama State line.
An animal with rabies could infect other wild animals or domestic animals that have not been vaccinated against rabies. All domestic animals should be vaccinated against rabies and humans should avoid all wildlife contact, especially with raccoons, bats, and foxes.
Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is usually fatal to warm-blooded animals and to humans. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization. Appropriate treatment started soon after the exposure will protect an exposed person from the disease.
The following advice is issued:
o All pets should have current rabies immunizations.
o Avoid contact with all wildlife, especially raccoons, bats, and foxes.
o All persons with any unusual exposure incident, or bites, with a wild animal should be evaluated by a physician to determine their need for treatment.
o For general questions pertaining to rabies in animals, contact the Escambia County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division at (850) 595-6700.
o Secure outside garbage in covered containers to avoid attracting wild animals.
o Do not leave pet food outside as this practice also attracts other animals.
o For questions regarding the health of an animal, contact a veterinarian.
o Veterinarian staff and animal control staff should be alert for animals encountered with signs suspicious for rabies and contact the Escambia County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division at (850) 595-6700.
For further information on rabies, go to the Florida Department of Health website: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/epi/diseases.htm or contact the Escambia County Health Department, Environmental Health office at (850) 595-6700.
Comments
7 Responses to “Rabies Alert Continues For North Escambia; Person Bit By Rabid Fox”
I have yet to understand why several of my neighbors think it is “fun” to catch foxes in live traps, look at them, then turn them loose. Two of them have younger children and even though things like this have made the news, they don’t understand how dangerous this is. We do live in the “country” where these animals live, but you have to be careful. I wish people were more careful.
A racoon crossed the road in front of my vehicle about a week or two ago, in broad daylignt. It crossed quite slowly. I slowed way down to observe him. He did not seem to care if a car was there. I thought this odd. It was on Crabtree Church Rd. I was headed north and this incident ocurred on this stretch of road beween the 3 speed bumps and the next populated area. I saw it in a wooded area.
Cottage Hill resident — now you know why so many people read northescambia.com. It’s the news source that reports information important to us in this area. Most of us don’t bother getting a pnj anymore. And why watch the news on TV? It’s just reruns of the stuff in pensacola over and over again.
Ok, I am absolutely furious over this!!!!! I LIVE on Handy Road, the whole thing is less than a mile long and NO ONE has told any of us residents that there is a problem. How stupid can they be!!!
What if my kids are outside playing and see a dog and they try to play with it because it’s a local dog and they get bitten and contract rabies because these IDIOTS don’t see fit to warn us? (I know that was a really long sentence, but this is really upsetting me)
If I didn’t check this website, I wouldn’t have seen this at all because I have not read anything in the pnj or on channel 3 about this. Did I miss them or did they just not do stories about this?
I better quit while I’m ahead. I’m so upset I can’t even write rationally. Sorry, guys.
If the “community” you live in is in central to north Escambia County, FL and north of Muscogee Road to the Alabama state line, then YOUR “community” has the alert.
This rabies alert will last for a total of 60 days and covers all of central and northern Escambia County from Muscogee Road north to the Alabama State line.
Here is the part of the story that tells where.
So, there is an alert about rabies and the potential threat of rabid animals, but you cannot tell us which “community” has the alert due to privacy laws…Did I get this right? If so, this is very interesting. Thank you.