Tag: Rabies outbreak

Rabies vaccine to be placed in bait in Harford County to immunize wild animals

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Raccoon baring its teeth in a defensive stance

The rabies vaccine is to be placed in a bait mixture throughout Harford County to attract wild animals in an effort to immunize them against the illness. The pilot project, known as the Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORV), will place over 15,000 bait containers across the county, the Harford County Health Department announced Monday in a statement. The main animals targeted are raccoons. The vaccine to be used, called Raboral V-RG, is a live virus vaccine.

But health officials say it cannot cause rabies and is not harmful to raccoons, pets, or other animals.  The same vaccine has been used successfully in Anne Arundel County, Maryland since 1998, as well as in other states in an effort to control rabies in raccoons, the health department statement said.  Vaccine not considered harmful to most humans While the vaccine is considered low risk to human health, it is advised that the bait should not be handled by anyone under 18 years old, or someone pregnant, immunocompromised, or who has a chronic skin condition.   Officials said the bait containers are made of fishmeal and polymers and come in two forms.

One is a small brown brick containing a packet of liquid rabies vaccine, while the other is a condiment-style packet coated with a waxy fishmeal attractant.  A raccoon must bite into the packet to be vaccinated. Ground teams in marked state vehicles will distribute the bait packets in likely raccoon habitats throughout Harford County parks and neighborhoods. “We are committed to keeping our community healthy, and the launch of this program marks an important step forward in preventing the spread of rabies and keeping Harford County residents and animals safe,” said Harford County Health Officer Lauren Levy.  

Rabies is spread by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, such as a raccoon, groundhog, cat, fox, skunk or bat. It is also spread when an infected animal’s saliva comes in contact with the eyes, nose, mouth or open cut of a person or another animal.  

Source: Rabies vaccine to be placed in bait in Harford County to immunize wild animals – CBS Baltimore

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love.
Ephesians 3:16-17

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Rabid baby goats prompt North Carolina mobile petting zoo scare

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At least three baby goats belonging to a North Carolina petting zoo have tested positive for rabies, prompting state health officials to issue an urgent warning to those who visited the operation’s mobile menagerie since late July. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said Sunday that tests Friday confirmed that the rabies virus was found in three baby goats. A fourth baby goat was not tested but was assumed to also have been infected, the agency said. The four infected baby goats were euthanized, according to ABC affiliate station WSOC in Charlotte, N.C.

North Carolina health officials said some baby goats from a mobile petting zoo operated by Farm Adventures in Harmony, North Carolina, tested positive for rabies and were euthanized, August 27. 2026 WSOC-TV The animals belonged to Farm Adventures in Harmony, North Carolina, and were part of a traveling petting zoo that made at least 10 stops in six counties since July 28, including one at an assisted living facility and another at a back-to-school event, NCDHHS said in their statement. “Impacted individuals should contact their local health department to determine whether medications are needed to prevent infection,” according to the statement. The goats were most likely exposed to rabies by a skunk that entered an enclosed pen where they were kept in late July, NCDHHS said.

Related Biting rabid beavers prompt partial closure of popular Maryland park The infected baby goats are believed to have been on display at events in Mecklenburg, Iredell, Watauga, Burke, Davie and Durham counties. “Public health officials are working with event organizers to notify attendees who might have had contact with the infected goats at these events,” state health officials said in the statement. An investigation into the rabid goats is continuing, and officials cautioned that “additional information about potential exposure locations at public events will be released when available.” No one has reported being infected by the rabid baby goats, officials said.

Human rabies infections are extremely rare in the United States and no human cases have been reported in North Carolina since 2011, the NCDHHS statement said. Fewer than 10 human deaths from rabies are reported each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 90% of reported rabies cases are discovered in wildlife, most commonly including skunks, bats, raccoons and foxes, the CDC said. Misty Love, owner of Farm Adventures mobile petting zoo in North Carolina, is advising visitors to see a doctor after four of her baby goats tested positive for rabies. WSOC-TV “Anybody that knows me knows my animals are the most important thing in the world to me, so it’s hard,” Misty Love, owner of the Farm Adventures petting zoo, told WSOC. Love said it appears the skunk that infected her goats got into their cage through a hole in late July. “It’s devastating,” Love said.

“They were kept in an enclosed pen to prevent any wild animal contact.” Love said that several weeks after being exposed to the skunk, the infected baby goats began showing signs of illness. She said none of the other animals that are part of the traveling petting zoo have been infected and that they have all been given rabies booster shots. “For any parent that has any question, I highly recommend them to go get vaccinated,” Love said. Love’s petting zoo has been put on quarantine, health officials said. “It’s a nightmare,” Love said.

Source: Rabid baby goats prompt North Carolina mobile petting zoo scare – ABC News

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3

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Authorities urge caution after dead bat tests positive for rabies in DeKalb County

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Hundreds of bats flying across a sunset sky above a mountain valley

Health authorities are asking residents in DeKalb County to watch their pets after a dead bat tested positive for rabies. Authorities say the bat was found in the area around Terry Mill Road and tested positive on Aug. 21. Georgia is a rabies-endemic state, which means the virus can be found in wildlife year-round. Officials say that means it’s important for residents to make sure their pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations and avoid animals that may be behaving in unusual ways. In July, a dead bat was found in the area near South DeKalb Columbia Drive and York Place around Stone Mountain, health officials say.

Other animals, such as raccoons, have tested positive in recent months. The National Association of State Health Veterinarians says all unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid animal need to be quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month before being released. If you have been bitten or scratched by any stray animals or an animal suspected to have rabies, seek medical care immediately and let your provider know about the possible exposure. After that, contact GNR Public Health at (770) 339-4260 and ask for the on-call epidemiologist. To report an animal behaving in an unusual way or to report an animal bite, call DeKalb County Animal Control at (404) 294-2996, ext. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, or (404) 294-2519 after hours.

Source: Authorities urge caution after dead bat tests positive for rabies in DeKalb County – CBS Atlanta

I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
Job 19:25

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Bat found in Livingston County tests positive for rabies, health officials say

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Bat flying above forested mountains beneath a sunset sky

A bat found in Livingston County, Michigan, has tested positive for rabies, the local health department said on Thursday. Officials said the finding marks the first rabies case in an animal reported in the county this year. They have yet to disclose where in the region the bat was located.  Rabies is a deadly virus that spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals, according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s usually transmitted through a bite from a bat, coyote, fox, raccoon or skunk. Livingston County health officials say bat bites can be very small and people may be exposed to rabies even if they don’t see a bite or scratch.

According to health officials, exposure to rabies can also happen when a person touches a bat’s saliva or brain tissue or wakes up with one in their bedroom. Children, people with developmental disabilities and intoxicated individuals may also be considered exposed if they are in a room with a bat. Anyone in Livingston County who believes they’ve been exposed is asked to capture the bat, report the exposure by filling out a form on the health department’s website and call department staff at 517‑552‑6882 for testing guidance and next steps. Health officials say people can prevent rabies by keeping bats out of homes, vaccinating their pets and washing bites or scratches with soap and water before seeking medical help. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the state is home to nine species of bats.

Source: Bat found in Livingston County tests positive for rabies, health officials say – CBS Detroit

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Romans 6:1-2

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Rabies alerts issued in Harford, Anne Arundel counties involving racoon, bat and fox

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Raccoon foraging beside dense vegetation in a suburban backyard

Health officials in Harford and Anne Arundel counties have issued new rabies alerts involving a racoon, a fox and a bat. The Harford County Health Department said Tuesday it had received confirmation from state health officials that two animals — a racoon and a fox — had tested positive for the rabies virus.  The rabid raccoon was found near the 200 block of Cooley Mill Road, in Havre de Grace, while the rabid fox was found near the 700 block of Walters Mill Road in Forest Hill, Maryland. The health department said the rabid animals may have exposed people or pets in surrounding areas.    

“Witnessing a raccoon, fox, or other wildlife is not cause for alarm,” the department said in a statement. “But if you or your pets have had contact with a raccoon or fox near the specified areas, please call the Harford County Health Department at 410-877-2300 for follow-up.” Anne Arundel bat alert In Anne Arundel County, an alert was issued by the health department seeking information about anyone who might have come in contact with an infected bat found outside Almondbury Drive in Pasadena. A statement said the bat was found August 9 and tested positive for rabies. The Arundel County Department of Health is urging anyone who might have come into contact with the bat to contact the department at 410-222-7254. Area residents who discover unexplained wounds on their pets should also reach out to report the injuries. 

Rabies is spread by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, such as a groundhog, cat, fox, raccoon, skunk or bat. It is also spread when an infected animal’s saliva comes in contact with the eyes, nose, mouth or open cut of a person or another animal. Latest warnings follow recent biting incidents Preventive treatment might be required for anyone who handled, fed or was attacked by the infected animal. Rabies is a fatal disease, and preventive treatment (injections) must be started as soon as possible. The latest reports of rabid animals follows an incident in July in which a beaver infected with rabies bit a 13-year-old boy at Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland’s Frederick County.

The boy sustained injuries to his hands and chest and was flown to Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment.   Then, earlier this month, a 19-year-old man was bitten on the leg while visiting Cunningham Falls State Park. 

Source: Rabies alerts issued in Harford, Anne Arundel counties involving racoon, bat and fox – CBS Baltimore

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14

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