Press Release
| For More Information Contact: | For Release: |
| Julie Armstrong, Health Educator | Date: 6-1-01 |
| Phone: (937) 642-2053 | |
| Fax: (937) 642-2080 |
Animal Bites
Animal bites can be a frightening experience for young children and adults. The Union County Health Department offers the following information on how to prevent and care for an animal bite.
Contracting rabies is often the first concern of the bite victim. Rabies is a virus that attacks the brain and nervous system. It can infect all mammals and is seen mostly in bats, skunks, raccoons and other wild animals. People can also get the disease from an infected animal. Rabies is a potentially life threatening illness in people and is usually fatal in animals. The good news for humans is that there are effective treatments available for rabies if they are received soon after being exposed to the illness.
The first sign of rabies in animals is a change in behavior. Animals become aggressive, attacking for no reason, or they may become very quiet. Wild animals can lose their fear of people and act tame. Rabid animals may walk in a circle, drag a leg, or fall over. Some can not swallow so they are not able to eat or drink and often drool. Animals usually die within a week after first becoming ill.
Avoiding wild animals and keeping your distant from stray dogs and cats is the first step in preventing an animal bite. It is also important to vaccinate your pets for rabies and keep their shots current. The following are the steps you should follow if you are bitten by an animal:
 | Immediately wash the wound with lots of soap and water. |
| Call your doctor. |
| Capture the animal, if you can do it safely, or get the name and address of the animal’s owner. |
| If the biting animal dies or is dead, wear gloves or use a shovel to move the animal. Put the animal’s body in a heavy duty plastic bag and place it in a cold place away from people and other animals. |
| Call the Union County Health Department to report the bite. The Health Department will ask for details from the bite incident and a description of the biting animal. |
After the Health Department receives a report of an animal bite, they will place the biting dog, cat or ferret under a quarantine, usually at the owner’s home. If the animal remains healthy during quarantine, the person bitten was not exposed to the rabies virus. Wild animals and stray animals are usually tested. Unfortunately, this means the animal must be destroyed because the test is done on the brain. Your local health department can advise you and your veterinarian on how to have this done. The local health department will also know the risk of animal rabies in your community.
For more information on animal bites or to report an animal bite, contact the Union County Health Department at (937) 642-2053 or 1-888-333-9461 for non local calls.