Second case of dog rabies has public health officials emphasizing pet vaccination

 Media release: An unusual second case of animal rabies confirmed in a dog brings Floyd County's total number of cases for 2011 to 14, second most in over a decade for any of the ten counties comprising the Northwest Georgia Public Health district.  In 2003, Walker County recorded 17 animal rabies cases.  Floyd recorded 5 cases in 2000, but until this year has had fewer cases each year since.

Public health officials say rabies is not any more prevalent in Floyd County than anywhere else.  But, they are urging Floyd County residents to take precautions to prevent their pets or themselves from contracting the usually fatal disease. 

"The best way to prevent rabies is to have your pet vaccinated against it," says Mike Pitts, environmental health manager at the Floyd County Health Department.  "It's important to get your pets vaccinated for their protection, for our protection and because it's Georgia state law," Pitts says.

Tim Allee, environmental health director for Northwest Georgia Public Health, explains he sees occasional case spikes in animal rabies, like the one this year in Floyd, in other northwest Georgia counties.  Allee attributes the spikes to increased local awareness and testing instead of increased local incidence of the disease.

"We've conducted a lot of rabies education in Floyd, especially in the past several years," Allee says, "and believe more people have a better idea of what sorts of odd behavior in animals might indicate rabies.  Reports of possible cases, testing and confirmed cases have increased correspondingly."

Allee echoes Pitts and encourages pet vaccination as the single best way to protect against rabies.  He also explains tell-tale signs to watch for in animal behavior.

 "Any animal, wild or domestic, acting in a strange or unusual manner should be treated with caution and avoided," Allee says.  "Most people think rabid animals can be easily spotted because of excessive drool and foaming at the mouth.  In fact, most animals display these symptoms only in the latter stages of the infection and sometimes not even then."

"Rabid animals, wild or domestic, may stagger like they are drunk, appear restless, be aggressive, change the tone of their barks or growls or appear to be choking.  Animals that usually are active at night may become active during the day.  Passive animals sometimes become fierce and aggressive."

Pitts cautions anyone seeing such abnormal behavior in an animal to avoid contact and call the Floyd County Health Department's environmental health office at 706-295-6316 or Floyd County Animal Control at 706-236-4537.

Two dogs, 3 foxes, and 9 raccoons comprise Floyd's 14 animal rabies cases to date in 2001.  For more information about rabies and rabies prevention, visit http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/