Today, fewer than 10 people in the U.S. die from rabies each year. It’s an impressive statistic, but it hides the work behind the scenes that keeps that number as low as possible.
RHHD Public Health Nurse Nicole McCurrach started working in clinical rabies ten months ago. On her first day, she came face-to-face with a huge stack of paperwork that showed how often people in our communities need support and treatment after a possible rabies exposure. Her job is to follow up with people going through what is called post exposure prophylaxis or PEP. Depending on whether or not someone has previously been vaccinated against rabies, this can involve administration of Human Rabies Immune Globulin and at least four doses of the rabies vaccine. PEP can be expensive, and the shots have to be carefully timed. Nicole says, though, since rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms start, finishing the vaccine series is very important.
For Nicole, rabies is an example of an illness where preventive health is critical:
Avoid a bite or scratch altogether.
- Stay away from unfamiliar animals. This includes avoiding wildlife like raccoons and foxes. It also means not petting the local cat as it roams the neighborhood. We know it’s cute, but if you don’t know its vaccination status, admire the cuteness from a distance!
- Use your flashlight. “It’s not just attics,” Nicole says. Bats and other animals can use even small crawl spaces, like a shower drain, or they can tuck inside a patio umbrella. “Be careful about putting your hands into any dark space,” she advises.
Take precautions if you come across an unfamiliar animal. Nicole says it’s important to get animals tested for rabies if you suspect a possible bite or scratch. “Bat fangs are so tiny, you can miss bite marks,” she explains. Detecting rabies requires euthanizing the animal. While this step is a difficult one, it’s critical to know if someone has been exposed to rabies: “if the test comes back negative, you don’t have to progress through the next steps.” Testing needs are also why it’s so important to keep your own pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccines!
- Report dead animals. You can call your locality’s non-emergency line or animal control to come collect and test the animal. In Richmond, you can call 311 or 804-646-5573. In Henrico, the number is 804-501-5000, which is the Police Non-Emergency line.
- Contain live animals as best you can. If you’ve got a bat flying around your living room, for example, close off exits, get others out of the room, and then call animal control. “It may be tempting to open the window, leave the room, and hope the animal flies out,” Nicole says. But in reality, we want to have animal control contain the animal and have it tested.”
- Confirm vaccine status when possible. If pets are regularly vaccinated for rabies, they won’t need to be tested: “We don’t want a situation where you have to put an animal to sleep because it’s not up to date on its shots or we can’t determine when the last shot was,” Nicole shares.
- Notify animal control and a healthcare provider about animals that have fled, especially if you think you or a family member may have been scratched or bitten.
If you were bitten or scratched and the animal fled, or if an animal exposure tests positive for rabies, take steps to begin treatment.
- Get immediate medical advice. If you were bitten or scratched and the animal fled, it’s important to get medical help right away. You can call animal control or RHHD for guidance during working hours. At night and on weekends, emergency departments or urgent care clinics can help you figure out the right next steps for your exposure.
- Start post-exposure prophylaxis. Nicole explains that this treatment usually includes initial doses of immunoglobulin and the four-shot series. If a rabies exposure is uncertain, your medical team will work with you to figure out what you need.
Keep yourselves and your loved ones safe—and reduce Nicole’s paperwork load!—by following the steps above. You can also learn how to access preventive care if you’re at greater risk for rabies exposure. And if you need to update a pet’s rabies vaccine, you’re in luck! Henrico County’s next rabies vaccination event is this Saturday, August 17, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 4301 E. Parham Rd. Vaccines cost $20, and the event is cash only. Pets from all localities are welcome.
