Barnstable County Report Barnstable County Report By George R. Heufelder, MS, RS
Director, Barnstable County
Department Of Health & Environment
In my tenure with the Barnstable County Health Department, there was a time when public outreach to communities regarding rabies on Cape Cod was not the highest priority, despite its presence in Massachusetts since 1992. This was because, for 10 years prior to March 2004, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine of Tufts University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted a successful campaign in towns surrounding the Cape Cod Canal to prevent rabies from spreading across the bridges.
The strategy, simple in concept, involved the substantial task of vaccinating raccoons (the most common carrier of rabies in our area) by placing treated baits in a wide “barrier” area along the canal. The strategy was successful until that day in 2004 when the first case of terrestrial rabies was found beyond the canal. By this past March, infected animals had been discovered as far out as Provincetown.
This indicated that the barrier had been breached and now the Cape Cod Rabies Task Force, which was formed in 1992 from various town agencies across Barnstable County, in conjunction with the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment, is alerting all residents that there’s a dangerous stranger in our midst.
 ...AND THE ONLY "SAFE" COYOTE? Senator Rob O' Leary (D-Cummaquid) addressing Cape Cod Rabies Task Force press conference at Yarmouth Town Hall to mark April as Rabies Awareness Month. |
Rabies is a fatal viral disease of the brain and spinal cord that is contracted by exposure to an animal carrying the disease. The virus exists in the saliva and nervous tissue of infected animals. This includes such animals as raccoons, skunks, bats, cats, foxes, woodchucks, coyotes and dogs. But rabies is rare among the smaller mammals such as squirrels, rats, mice and chipmunks. Infected animals may exhibit a range of behaviors from appearing strangely friendly to aggressively attacking other animals and humans. It should be noted however, that an animal may be infective without exhibiting any unusual behavior.
Rabies makes its jump to humans when the saliva of the infected animal comes into contact with a wound, lesion or the mucosal tissue around the eyes or mouth.
Fortunately, rabies in humans and pets is preventable. The obvious first step for pet owners is to keep the vaccinations for your pets current. [Note: This is also the law, even for house pets, and it can save your pet’s life because the only way to test for rabies except for long quarantine, is to euthanize the animal.] If your pet gets into a fight with a wild animal, wear protective gloves before handling and while washing your pet. Ask your veterinarian whether a booster shot might be in order.
If you have been bitten, don’t panic. Immediately wash the area with soap and water and consult you health care provider. Report the incident to your Animal Control Officer or Board of Health.
There is no commonly available vaccine for humans, but .rabies in humans can be treated after exposure. The post-exposure prophylaxis usually consists of five shots over a four-week period. Pre-exposure prophylaxis generally is recommended only for individuals in a high-risk category, such as veterinarians and animal handlers. This pre-exposure prophylaxis is not a “vaccine” in the usual sense, since it merely limits the need for more intensive post-treatment in the event of an exposure.
Once the initial barrier was breached, the new goal of the Task Force and others has been to continue to vaccinate wildlife against the disease and thus eventually eliminate rabies once again from Cape Cod.
Until that time, however, be vigilant. Enjoy wild animals from afar, but don’t encourage them to enter into your home or yard. Tightly cap garbage cans and don’t leave pet food outside unattended. Educate children regarding approaching strange dogs or wildlife that might appear to be friendly. Prevent bats from entering homes or occupied structures where they will be close to people or pets.
Vaccinate your pets, educate yourself and your children. Rabies is preventable. Just keep informed, be vigilant, be safe.