DHSS Press Release

FOX IS DELAWARE’S FIFTH CONFIRMED RABID ANIMAL

DOVER (Aug.13, 2014) – After a confirmed human exposure to a fox with rabies in Brandywine Park on July 30, Delaware’s Division of Public Health (DPH) reminds Delawareans to take precautions against the spread of the disease. The man bitten by the fox received preventive rabies treatment. The fox was the fifth animal in Delaware confirmed positive for rabies in 2014. Sightings of potentially rabid animals occur statewide. Anyone who thinks they may have been bitten, scratched or had saliva contact with any unfamiliar animal should contact their health care provider, or call the DPH Rabies Hotline at 866-972-9705. The decision to pick up and test the animal will be based upon the level of human contact. You may call the Rabies Hotline who will advise on whether the animal will be picked up for testing.

DPH reminds residents that rabies is constantly present in Delaware, with cases occurring in both wildlife and stray pets. Residents should always take precautions against rabies by avoiding wild or unfamiliar animals and ensuring their pets are up-to-date with rabies shots. Warm summer temperatures lead to more outdoor activities, increasing possible exposure to rabies through contact with animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Rabies is an infectious disease affecting the nervous system of humans and other mammals. Infection can occur through the bite or scratch of an infected animal or if saliva from such an animal gets into the eyes, nose, mouth or an opening in the skin. Since January 2014, DPH has performed rabies tests on 83 animals, with 5 testing positive. DPH only tests animals for rabies when a human has been bitten, scratched or contacted its saliva. This means there may be many more infected wild animals than suggested by these numbers. Rabies cannot be cured once symptoms appear. Therefore, if a person is potentially exposed by an animal that tests positive for rabies, they will have to receive rabies shots (post exposure prophylaxis) to prevent them from developing the disease.

Signs of rabies in animals include daytime activity in normally nocturnal animals, wild animals approaching humans or other animals, and difficulty walking or moving. Some rabid animals may be very aggressive while others may be very weak and have excessive salivation. Keep people and pets away from any unknown animals.

Take the following steps to avoid rabies:

• Do not house or feed stray animals. If you care for cats living outdoors, ensure those cats are current on rabies vaccinations and are spayed or neutered. Spaying/neutering cats will eliminate the urge to fight, reducing the likelihood of disease transmission through bite injuries.
• Never handle wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, or foxes. This includes sick, injured or dead animals.
• If you wake up in a room with a bat present, seek medical attention regardless of the evidence of a bite or a scratch and call the DPH Rabies Hotline at 866-972-9705. If possible, trap the bat for testing. Do not release the bat.
• If bitten by an animal, wash the site thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately.
• Teach children never to approach or handle unfamiliar domestic or wild animals, even if they appear friendly.
• Keep pet vaccinations up-to-date. Delaware law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies.
• Keep cats and ferrets indoors and dogs on a leash under direct supervision. Homeless pets are vulnerable to rabies. Help reduce unwanted animals by spaying and neutering pets.
• Prevent bats and raccoons from entering homes by capping chimneys with screens and blocking openings in attics, cellars and porches. Ensure trash cans have tight latching lids.

• In an effort to promote 100 percent vaccination of all companion animals in Delaware, decrease human-wildlife conflicts, and promote responsible pet care-taking, DPH also recommends the following:

• By law, all cats, dogs, and ferrets over the age of 6 months have to be vaccinated against rabies. DPH also recommends vaccinating against other diseases, such as distemper and the parvo virus.
• Pet cats should be kept indoors for their own safety and well-being. Cats can live happy lives indoors with proper enrichment and family play time. Cats that roam outside can be hit by cars, attacked by other animals, or exposed to parasites and diseases.
• If you care for cats living outdoors, ensure those cats are current on rabies vaccinations and are spayed or neutered. Spaying/neutering cats will eliminate the urge to fight, reducing the likelihood of disease transmission through bite injuries.
• Never feed wildlife intentionally or unintentionally with unsecured trash. If you care for cats living outdoors, always remove uneaten food after feeding times. This will prevent unwanted wildlife from being attracted to the food and wandering into places where people also reside. This will reduce the likelihood of wildlife attacks on humans or pets.
• Never approach or handle unfamiliar free-roaming cats. If there are free-roaming cats living in your area, contact a local organization with the expertise and training to trap the cats to have them vaccinated and spayed or neutered to improve neighborhood safety from disease and reduce unwanted litters.

If you need additional information, please call the Rabies Hotline at 866-972-9705. Individuals seeking TTY services should call 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460. A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, or speech-disabled can use a TTY to type his/her conversation to a relay operator, who then reads the typed conversation to a hearing person at the DPH call center. The relay operator relays the hearing person’s spoken words by typing them back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.