The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
Phone: 301-264-3147
Email: [email protected]
P.O. Box 651
Mount Savage, MD 21545
Related links
* Allegany County Health Department website
* Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene interactive map of rabies cases statewide
* What is rabies?
Rabies is a viral disease that is most often spread by a bite from an infected animal. Once an animal (or person) is infected, the rabies virus will find its way to the brain by way of the peripheral nerves, where it causes brain inflammation and ultimately death due to respiratory issues.
* What pet owners need to know about rabies
Steps to take to protect your pet
Remember these steps to protect yourself and your pets from rabies:
Have your dogs, cats, ferrets, and other animals vaccinated against rabies.
Do not touch, interact with, or feed wildlife or other animals that are unknown to you.
Avoid sick animals and any animals that are acting in an unusual manner.
Do not let pets roam free.
Teach children to stay away from wild animals and animals they don't know.
Cover garbage cans securely and do not leave pet food outside.
Prevent bats from entering your home. If you find a bat in your home, do not touch it. Only let it go if you are absolutely sure no people or household pets have had any contact with it. If it is alive, you can catch it by placing a small box, bowl, or can over the bat once it has landed to roost, and then slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside. Tape the cardboard to the container and contact your local health department.
If you or your pet has been exposed to a rabid or suspected rabid domestic animal, get the owner's name, address and telephone number. Contact your local health department or animal control agency in the event of an exposure.
Pets get pinch o' protection
Low-cost rabies clinic vaccinates estimated 650
By Kevin Spradlin
PhDispatch.com
CUMBERLAND, May 1 -- An estimated 650 dogs, cats and ferrets were vaccinated against rabies during a low-cost clinic coordinated by the Allegany County Health Department.
Nearly two-thirds of the animals received a single shot in the rump at the health department's Willowbrook Road office in Cumberland. Another 250 animals were brought by their human companions to George's Creek Elementary School in Lonaconing. The clinic lasted from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and was well-attended despite a light rain.
Misty Joy, registered sanitarian with the Allegany County Health Department's division of environmental health, said her office provides two state-mandated low-cost clinics per year. The spring clinic generally is higher in participation, Joy said, because of new litters. The other clinic is in the fall. Animals are expected to be seen twice - once at each seasonal clinic - to remain current on their rabies vaccination.
The pet owner's cost to vaccinate each animal is $5 - up to 67 percent less than charge many area veterinarian offices. In addition, many vet offices charge a general office visit fee ranging $30 or more just to bring a pet in for the shot.
Springtime seems to be the time of year people begin thinking about protecting their four-legged pets. As the weather warms, encounters between domestic animals and wildlife become more frequent.
Still, the danger of rabies doesn't seem very common in Mountain Maryland - that is, west of Sideling Hill. In 2010, Allegany County health officials reported six confirmed cases of rabies - only 2 percent of the state's total. Garrett County officials confirmed only four cases.
There has not been a human case of rabies in Maryland since 1976, but each year, more than 400 animals are confirmed rabid in Maryland and over 1,000 state residents receive rabies vaccination after being exposed to a rabid animal, according to information on the Allegany County Health Department website.