Although September is known as Rabies Awareness Month, it is worth noting that rabies is a threat throughout the year. Treatment is never an option once rabies presents itself. The disease is always fatal, hence the need to prevent it is paramount.

Pet owners should prioritize vaccinating their cats, dogs, ferrets and horses against rabies. Moreover, vaccines should also be administered to the farmer’s or rancher’s livestock, like sheep and cattle. Nevertheless, vaccination of animals does not retract the control measures for human beings.

The reason is that animal’ vaccines are not 100% effective. Secondly, wild animals are also a threat because they harbour rabies.

In Saint Augustine Florida, the main wild carriers of rabies include raccoons, bats, foxes, and skunks. Domestic animals such as cats, dogs, horses and cows can get rabies if they are bitten by these fierce animals.

Even petting a stray cat or dog in the area could expose you to rabies if you are bitten, regardless of the bite’s depth. Strangers’ cats or dogs must be avoided because they can bite; there is a risk of rabies even if the animal’s bite is superficial. Strangers’ pets are also a danger, even if they are playing with your pet. If the animal that bit you cannot be seen or tested for 10 days, treatment with rabies post-exposure prophylaxis should be started.

This consists of giving rabies immunizations such as rabies antibodies or rabies immunoglobulins within the bite area and giving appropriate and adequate doses of the rabies vaccine. You may avoid the therapy if the animal has been caught and has been confirmed not to be rabid. Feeding an animal stray wants one head — the animal microscope. Because it is necessary to obtain a brain. It means that the animal must be put to sleep for testing.

If you wake up and find a bat in your room, assume you may have been bitten. Bats have very tiny teeth, their bite is almost invisible and it is painless. This makes bats bite almost always go unnoticed.

If there is a human being in the room with a bat, assume they sustained a bite whether while conscious or asleep. Healthy bats typically do not stay in areas that are occupied by people unless they are sick, which is a symptom of rabies. If you cannot capture the bat for testing, start the rabies vaccination series immediately.

Any injury got from the bites of neighbour’s cats, dogs, or ferrets is a cause for concern even if your neighbour produces rabies vaccination cards. This is because the vaccine is not perfect, this should be done for 10 days to confirm that the animal remains well. If not, you will need to start the vaccination process.

Being exposed to rabies is always a medical emergency. Ensure to contact your healthcare provider immediately.