Second North Georgia Rabies Case of 2009

Less than twoo weeks into 2009 and a second case of radies has been discovered in North Georgia.

According to the the Fannin County Environmental Health Department, another case of rabies has been confirmed in a raccoon in Fannin County, making it the second case of confirmed rabies in the county this year.

Shannon Bradburn of the local environmental health office stated, "We received a phone call on the afternoon of January 7th from residents of That Lane off Kelly Ridge Road who stated that their three dogs, which are current on their rabies vaccinations, had fought and killed a raccoon. Our office arranged for Animal Control to pick up the carcass of the raccoon and keep it in cold storage until we could take possession of the raccoon. On the following day, January 8th, we picked up the raccoon and took it to a veterinarian to be processed and shipped to the state lab for rabies testing. On January 9th, we received the results that the raccoon was positive for rabies. We notified the owners who said that they had already taken their three dogs for booster shots and will restrain and observe for 45 days."

Environmental health officials continue to remind the public that they can help prevent the spread of rabies by making sure pets and livestock are up to date on their vaccinations, and by avoiding contact with unfamiliar animals.

Officials further recommend that residents have their pets spayed or neutered to help reduce the number of unwanted animals.

If bitten by a potentially rabid animal, individuals are advised to thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water, and seek immediate medical attention. If a pet is bitten, the owner should seek veterinary assistance for the animal right away. The health care provider and/or the veterinarian will need to report exposure to local environmental health officials who will use the following criteria to assess the risk of rabies exposure:
• The geographic location of the incident
• The type of animal that was involved
• How the exposure occurred (provoked or unprovoked)
• The vaccination status of the animal(s)
• Whether the animal can be safely captured and tested for rabies
For more information about rabies and rabies exposure prevention, please contact the Fannin County Environmental Health Office at (706) 632-3024, or log onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov.