Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Health Officials: Avoid Contact With Wild Animals

Atlantic County health officials continue to advise residents to avoid contact with wild animals as they report two additional confirmed cases of rabies in Atlantic County.

The latest cases involve a skunk collected on the property of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Galloway Township and a raccoon collected on Glencove Avenue in Northfield.

In both cases, the animals appeared to be disoriented while displaying uncharacteristic behavior. An investigation by county health officials indicates that there was no direct human contact in either case.

County health officials collected the skunk on November 8 and the raccoon on November 9. Both were sent for testing at the New Jersey State Department of Health Laboratory. These confirmations bring the total to 15 cases of rabies in animals in Atlantic County this year.

"If you come in contact with a wild animal you should always take the proper precautions. Rabid animals may behave friendly towards humans, even though they are infected," warned Health Officer Patricia Diamond. If an animal appears abandoned or ill, health officials recommend contacting your local Animal Control Officer.

Diamond added that residents should never feed or touch wild animals and never try to keep these animals as pets. She also reminds residents to seek immediate medical attention if they have been bitten by an animal or exposed through a scratch or contact with an animal's saliva. The incident should be reported to the Division of Public Health by calling 609-645-5971.

Public health officials recommend the following steps to protect your family and pets from rabies:

Make sure your dog or cat's rabies vaccination is current.
Dogs and cats who receive an initial rabies vaccination are not considered immunized until 28 days after the vaccine has been administered therefore it is strongly recommended that any animal newly vaccinated or those too young to receive the vaccine (less than three months) not be left outdoors unattended. Situations have arisen where pet owners have left unvaccinated or newly vaccinated pets outdoors where they have sustained exposures to known or suspect rabid animals, resulting in euthanasia or six months strict confinement. Residents may check with their local municipality for date and location of their annual rabies vaccination clinic. In addition, the Atlantic County Animal Shelter holds a free clinic each month. The next clinic will be on December 16, 10 AM to 12 noon, at 240 Old Turnpike Road, Pleasantville. Call (609) 485-2345 for more information.

Keep your pet on a leash. Do not allow your pet to roam; it can come in contact with rabid wildlife.

Teach your children to stay away from wild, stray or aggressive animals.

Never feed or touch wild animals, especially bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, or groundhogs. Do not try to keep these animals as pets.

If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water and seek medical attention.

Report all animal bites to the Atlantic County Division of Public Health at 609-645-5971.

For more information about rabies control, visit the Atlantic County web site at www.aclink.org/publichealth or call 609-645-5971.

County News