With the increase of confirmed rabies cases in southwestern Virginia, it is imperative that all pets be vaccinated for rabies. Health officials of the Virginia Department of Health have confirmed the positive testing of multiple skunks, and a fox. The fox that tested positive was found in a neighborhood in Christiansburg.
Rabies can be fatal, but it is preventable. Rabies spreads to people and pets when they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. In the United States, rabies is mostly found in wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. All mammals can get rabies, but only a few species are important as reservoirs for the disease. In many other countries around the world, dogs still carry rabies.
Domestic animals can also get rabies. Mammals like cats, cattle, and dogs are the most frequently reported rabid domestic animals in the United States.
The rabies virus affects the central nervous system. If appropriate medical care is not received after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can reach the brain, ultimately resulting in death. Medical care is needed after potential exposure and before symptoms start. Once the rabies virus dries out and when exposed to sunlight, it becomes noninfectious.
Rabies is not transmitted through the blood, urine or feces of an infected animal, nor spread airborne through the open environment.
The infectious path of the rabies virus:
Make sure to check the vaccination dates for your pets, and if they are due for a rabies vaccination, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Sources:
How is Rabies Transmitted? [Internet] Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/transmission/index.html
The Path of the Rabies Virus [Internet] Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/transmission/body.html
Rabies Case Alert [Internet] Available from: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/roanoke/category/rabies-alerts/
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