FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 4, 2007
SCDHEC participates in World Rabies Day
COLUMBIA – South Carolinians will be teaming up with international rabies experts in the World Health Organization and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to celebrate the first World Rabies Day on Sept. 8, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
“Each year about 400 South Carolinians have to undergo preventive treatment for rabies,” said Sue Ferguson of DHEC's Bureau of Environmental Health. “So, in addition to the rabies vaccination clinics DHEC sponsors each April across our state, we want to share this opportunity to highlight rabies prevention and control efforts in South Carolina, while teaming up with people around the world to work toward our common goal of reducing the incidence and risks of rabies.”
Founded by the CDC and the United Kingdom’s Alliance for Rabies Control, the World Rabies Day initiative is working to bring together relevant partners in an effort to address rabies prevention and control.
“DHEC has long been involved in the fight against rabies because once the disease is contracted, it is fatal,” Ferguson said. “We have coordinated statewide efforts to spread the awareness that rabies can be prevented through education, pet vaccination and increased awareness about what to do if you are bitten, as well as who to contact to request administration of preventive measures after a rabies exposure has occurred.”
Two SCDHEC scientists, Eric R. Brenner, M.D. and Kira A. Christian, DVM of DHEC’s Division of Acute Disease Epidemiology will attend the World Rabies Day Symposium and Expo Sept. 7, hosted by CDC in Atlanta. The doctors will present information on South Carolina's rabies data collection and surveillance systems.
According to the CDC, the greatest achievement in rabies control and prevention in the U.S. occurred half-a-century ago with effective implementation of dog vaccination, licensing and stray dog control.
“Rabies prevention does begin with pet owners,” Ferguson said. “State law requires that people vaccinate their dogs, cats and ferrets. Keeping your pet’s vaccinations up to date and limiting their ability to roam free are two of the best ways to protect yourself, your family and your neighbors from rabies.
“However, rabies is ever-present in wildlife, which can pose a threat to unvaccinated pets and possibly our family members,” Ferguson said. “So, if you think you have been exposed to the rabies virus through a bite, scratch or the saliva of a possibly infected animal, immediately wash the affected area with plenty of soap and water,” she said. “Then be sure to get medical attention and report the incident to DHEC.”
According to DHEC statistics over the past several years, the leading carriers of rabies in the state are raccoons, foxes, skunks, bats and unvaccinated domestic animals, although there have been cases in bobcats and other wildlife, as well as in horses and cows.
“Stay away from wild animals,” Ferguson said. “Also stay away from domestic pets unless you know they are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. It is natural for humans as animal caretakers to reach out to an animal that appears tame or sick, so it is important to teach your children that ‘wild animals acting tame and tame animals acting wild’ can signify danger.
“If you, or a member of your household, have been asleep and awaken to find a bat in your home it is advisable to seek medical attention,” she said. “Bats can bite while a person is unaware, thus potentially exposing them to rabies.”
Additional information about rabies, teaching opportunities, veterinary toolkits and ways for citizens to join the campaign against rabies is available online at http://www.scdhec.gov/rabies and at http://www.worldrabiesday.org.
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For more information:
Clair Boatwright – (803) 898-4461
E-mail – boatwrc@dhec.sc.gov
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