Rabies - What You Should Know

Rabies is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. Any wild or domestic mammal can get rabies, including raccoons, skunks, bats, dogs, livestock, farm animals and humans. The rabies virus is usually transmitted through a bite of a rabid animal.  On rare occasions, it can be transmitted through saliva in a wound or in the eye or mouth. 

If You Have Been Bitten: Don't panic...but don't ignore the bite, either. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and lots of water. Washing thoroughly will greatly lessen the chance of infection. Give first aid as you would for any wound. It's critically important that you notify your health care provider immediately and explain how you got the bite. Anti-rabies treatment may be recommended.  If a wild animal has bitten a person and it can be safely captured without further risk of exposure, do so by using a large box or can and heavy leather gloves so it can be further evaluated. If it cannot be captured, you should try to identify it before it runs away. Don't try to pick the animal up or have any other direct contact with it. When prompt assistance is needed, call the local animal control officer. The number of the Bristol Animal Control is (860) 584-3087. The Burlington Animal Control number is (860)214-5640.  The Health District works closely with each town’s animal control officer to help prevent and control rabies.

Rabies Prevention Tips

 Vaccinate your cats and dogs against rabies. Do not allow your dog or cat to roam at will. Report all domestic animal encounters with wild animals to the animal control officer.  If your pet is bitten or has had physical contact with a potentially rabid wild animal, contact your veterinarian for further advice and immediately isolate your animal.  Do not feed or handle wild or stray animals.  Do not attract wildlife near your home.  If you see a wild animal acting strangely, report it to the animal control officer.  Bats should be kept out of areas where there is a possibility of contact with people.  Because a bat bite may go unnoticed, a bat found in an area where contact might have been possible (such as a home or school) should be safely captured to determine if further evaluation is necessary.

Additional information can be found on the following websites:

Connecticut Department of Public Health
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Rev. 7-10-08