Missouriwatcher
Editor, Senior Moderator
Mar 15, 2012
Little Rock - The report of a rabid bat in North Little Rock this week has caused the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) to issue a warning about contact with bats and other wild animals...
Be sure your dogs, cats and ferrets are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations
Do not feed, touch or adopt wild animals
Keep family pets indoors at night
Bat-proof your home or summer camp in the fall or winter (The majority of human rabies cases are caused by bat bites.)
Encourage children to immediately tell an adult if any animal bites them
Teach children to avoid wildlife, strays, and all other animals they do not know well
Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the local health unit. Do not let any animal escape that has possibly exposed someone to rabies. Depending on the species, an animal can be observed or tested for rabies in order to avoid the need for rabies treatment.
Rabies is a virus that attacks the brain and spinal cord and is a fatal disease. It is most often seen in wild animals such as skunks, bats and foxes. Cats, dogs, ferrets and livestock can also develop rabies, especially if they are not vaccinated. In 2011, Arkansas had 60 rabies-positive animals, including 53 skunks, six bats and one cat. So far in 2012, the state has had 32 rabies-positive animals - 29 skunks, two bats and a bull.
The rabies virus lives in the saliva (spit) and nervous tissues of infected animals and is spreadwhen they bite or scratch. The virus also may be spread if saliva from an infected animal touches broken skin, open wounds or the lining of the mouth, eyes or nose.
The first sign of rabies in an animal is usually a change in behavior. Rabid animals may attack people or other animals for no reason, or they may lose their fear of people and seem unnaturally friendly. Bats may be out in the daylight, which is an unusual behavior for them, or they may fly toward people or be unable to fly and be fluttering on the ground. While less than one percent of bats that appear healthy are rabid, 10 percent of sick bats or those behaving unusually are actually rabid. Both people and pets are more likely to have contact with a sick bat than a healthy one. A bat on the ground is a sick bat and should be considered a potentially rabid bat! An animal with rabies usually dies within one week of demonstrating signs of rabies. Not all rabid animals act in these ways, however, so you should avoid all wild animals - especially skunks, bats and stray cats and dogs...
http://www.arkansas.gov/health/newsroom/index.php?do:newsDetail=1&news_id=608
Little Rock - The report of a rabid bat in North Little Rock this week has caused the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) to issue a warning about contact with bats and other wild animals...
Be sure your dogs, cats and ferrets are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations
Do not feed, touch or adopt wild animals
Keep family pets indoors at night
Bat-proof your home or summer camp in the fall or winter (The majority of human rabies cases are caused by bat bites.)
Encourage children to immediately tell an adult if any animal bites them
Teach children to avoid wildlife, strays, and all other animals they do not know well
Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the local health unit. Do not let any animal escape that has possibly exposed someone to rabies. Depending on the species, an animal can be observed or tested for rabies in order to avoid the need for rabies treatment.
Rabies is a virus that attacks the brain and spinal cord and is a fatal disease. It is most often seen in wild animals such as skunks, bats and foxes. Cats, dogs, ferrets and livestock can also develop rabies, especially if they are not vaccinated. In 2011, Arkansas had 60 rabies-positive animals, including 53 skunks, six bats and one cat. So far in 2012, the state has had 32 rabies-positive animals - 29 skunks, two bats and a bull.
The rabies virus lives in the saliva (spit) and nervous tissues of infected animals and is spreadwhen they bite or scratch. The virus also may be spread if saliva from an infected animal touches broken skin, open wounds or the lining of the mouth, eyes or nose.
The first sign of rabies in an animal is usually a change in behavior. Rabid animals may attack people or other animals for no reason, or they may lose their fear of people and seem unnaturally friendly. Bats may be out in the daylight, which is an unusual behavior for them, or they may fly toward people or be unable to fly and be fluttering on the ground. While less than one percent of bats that appear healthy are rabid, 10 percent of sick bats or those behaving unusually are actually rabid. Both people and pets are more likely to have contact with a sick bat than a healthy one. A bat on the ground is a sick bat and should be considered a potentially rabid bat! An animal with rabies usually dies within one week of demonstrating signs of rabies. Not all rabid animals act in these ways, however, so you should avoid all wild animals - especially skunks, bats and stray cats and dogs...
http://www.arkansas.gov/health/newsroom/index.php?do:newsDetail=1&news_id=608