CALLAWAY — A raccoon killed along North Gay Ave., north of Highway 22 in Callaway, has tested positive for rabies.
This is the seventh Bay County animal testing positive for rabies this year. A bat captured in the Bayhead Road area of Bayou George tested positive for rabies earlier this month. A rabid raccoon was killed in the Brandeis Avenue area of Panama City in May. Rabid raccoons were also captured or killed in the Lynn Haven, Cedar Grove and High Point areas of Bay County this year.
The Florida Department of Health in Bay County reminds citizens that Florida law requires all dogs and cats more than four months old be currently vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Unvaccinated dogs and cats should not be outdoors without direct and continuous adult supervision.
Pet food left outdoors and uncovered garbage will attract raccoons to your yard. Placing or offering food or garbage in such a manner that it attracts raccoons is illegal in Florida. All contact with wild mammals or stray domestic mammals should be avoided.
Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm blooded animals and humans. Exposure to the virus can be through broken skin (bites, scratches) or mucous membrane (eyes, nose, mouth) contact with infected saliva or tissues. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization. Appropriate treatment started soon after the exposure will protect an exposed person from the disease.
The department issued the following advice:
- Secure outside garbage in covered containers to avoid attracting wild animals.
- Do not leave pet food outside overnight as this attracts wild animals to your home and increasesthe chance of a pet-raccoon conflict.
- If bitten or scratched by an animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water. Seek medical treatment as needed and report the injury to the Florida Department of Health in Bay Countyat (850) 872-4455, ext. 1125. If the animal is stray or wild, call 911 or Bay County Animal Control at (850) 784-4005 and report the animal’s location. In Lynn Haven, call the Lynn Haven Police Department at (850) 265-1112. Follow up. Rabies is preventable when treatment is provided in a timely manner.
- If your dog or cat fights with a wild animal, contact the Florida Department of Health in Bay County immediately. The wild animal will need to be tested for rabies. Your animal may need to be quarantined. Do not shoot suspected rabid animals in the head.
- Do not touch animals that are not yours. Avoid contact with all wildlife, especially raccoons, bats, bobcats, otters, foxes, skunks and coyotes. No animal is too young to have rabies. A rabid animal may act friendly.
- Wear rubber gloves and protective eyewear when dressing/butchering wild animals to avoid exposure to rabies and other diseases. Cook all meat thoroughly to 165 degrees.
- For general questions pertaining to stray animals or odd acting wild animals, contact your area’s animal control department.
- For questions regarding the health of a pet, contact a veterinarian.
- Teach your children about rabies and to never touch a bat.
For further information on rabies, go to the Florida Department of Health website, doh.state.fl.us, or contact the Florida Department of Health in Bay County at 850-872-4720, ext. 1125.