Stray animals pose threat of rabies
By GENE ZALESKI, T&D Staff Writer Saturday, June 14, 20081 comment(s) | Default | Large
As concerns arise over the control of stray cats in the county, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says the problem of stray animals is a public health and safety concern.
Rabies, a viral disease which attacks nerve and brain tissue, is considered the most serious public health issue related to stray animals.
Although not natural carries of rabies, stray cats can be susceptible to the disease from attacks of infected wildlife or by eating animals infected by the virus.
Through April of this year, DHEC is reporting one confirmed rabies case in an animal found in The Times and Democrat Region.
The case was reported in Orangeburg County on Feb. 26. The case appeared in a raccoon.
Last year in the T&D Region, there were four confirmed cases of rabies, all in Orangeburg County.
None of the cases were of dogs or cats or other domestic animals.
Two Orangeburg cases were found in a fox and two in a raccoon. There were no cases of rabies found in Calhoun or Bamberg counties.
In 2006, there were two rabies cases in Orangeburg County, one of which was found in a cat.
Statewide in 2007, there were 162 cases of rabies reported with seven of these found in cats and three in dogs.
Cats are more susceptible to rabies partly due to their roaming and territorial nature. The concern of rabies and animals is perennial.
“Because rabies is fatal to humans and animals, anyone bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal must undergo immediate preventive measures to stop the virus from reaching the brain,” said Sue Ferguson of DHEC’s Environmental Bureau of Health. “State law requires that all pets be vaccinated against rabies, and we strongly encourage residents to avoid contact with stray animals and make sure their own pets have been vaccinated to protect both the pets and their owners.”
Ferguson said individuals should be wary of tame animals acting wild and wild animals acting tame.
“If you are bitten or scratched by a wild animal or domestic pet, immediately wash the wound with plenty of soap and water,” she said. “DHEC advises the public to be sure to get immediate medical attention for any possible exposure to the saliva of a rabid animal and to be sure to report the incident to DHEC.”
Ferguson said that about 400 South Carolinians have to undergo preventive treatment for rabies every year after being bitten by a rabid or suspected rabid animal.
In South Carolina, wild animals account for the highest number of reported rabies cases.
Rabies is transmitted by a rabid animal biting a healthy one. The virus passes from the saliva of the sick animal through the wound into the healthy animal. It also can be spread when the saliva of a rabid animal enters an opening in the skin, such as a cut or scratch.
Dogs and cats with rabies may show a variety of signs, including fearfulness, aggression, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing, staggering and seizures.
Beyond rabies, which is the greatest concern in relation to public health, officials say feral cats can be carriers of plague, which has been spread from rodents to cats to humans; toxoplasmosis, which has been spread by free-roaming cats soiling water sources and Lyme disease, which has been spread by infected ticks brought into the home.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.
To subscribe to the print edition of The Times and Democrat, click here.
notime wrote on Jun 14, 2008 6:27 AM: