County Issues Rabies Report

The county has released a report with plenty of bite to it.

Animal bites, that is.

Environmental Manager Al Gray released the Florida Department of Health's "Rabies Surveillance Program" summary to county commissioners, covering the period Jan. 1 through Sept. 30.

During that period, there were 382 confirmed animal bites: 258 from dogs, 115 from cats and nine from other animals. That includes cat scratches. The majority of those bites and scratches were on humans, but some included domestic animals, Gray said.

Of those 382 cases, 23 of the animals' heads were sent to a Tampa laboratory for rabies testing. Only one tested positive for rabies.

The only way to determine if the animal was rabid is to examine the brain.

Gray said Hernando County has been averaging close to 500 animal bites per year for the last three or four years, so the current number is about average for the first nine months of 2008.

Other findings:

For the 12-month period from June 30, 2007, to June 30, 2008, Hernando County had 18 people who received a series of rabies shots. For that same time period, 1,458 people in the state were recommended for the shots.

Gray reminds people that Hernando County remains under a rabies alert.

On April 3, 2008, the Hernando County Health Department received positive rabies results on a cat that bit and/or scratched three people in the Abeline Road and Deltona Boulevard area of Spring Hill.

Raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks commonly carry the rabies virus. Rabbits, squirrels, hamsters, gerbils, rats and other rodents are rarely found to be infected and have not been known to cause rabies in humans in Florida.

Animals with rabies may show strange behavior. They may be aggressive, attacking for no apparent reason, or act very tame. They may drool a lot due to difficulty swallowing. They also may stagger or become paralyzed.

The Hernando County Health Department recommends people follow these guidelines to help prevent exposure to rabid animals:

• Vaccinate all dogs, cats and ferrets over the age of three months against rabies. Vaccinations should be performed by a licensed veterinarian.

• Avoid all free-roaming dogs, cats and wild animals.

• Do not allow pets to run free. Follow leash laws and keep pets and livestock secured on the property.

• Do not feed or pet wild animals.

• Contact Hernando County Animal Services at 796-5062 to report stray dogs or cats or to report wild animals exhibiting aggressive or unusual behavior.

For more information on rabies, contact the Hernando County Health Department at 540-6812.