Raccoon Rabies Detected in Mahoning County
Pet vaccinations urgedRaccoon-strain rabies was identified in a raccoon killed in May of 1996 by a family dog in Boardman. This was the first report of raccoon-strain rabies from an Ohio county bordering Pennsylvania. The raccoon rabies outbreak has been moving westward toward Ohio for several years.
Anticipating the arrival of this threat, the Mahoning County Board of Health enacted a vaccination requirement for dogs, cats and ferrets in October of 1994. The Board of Health has offered annual pet vaccination clinics since then throughout the County staffed by volunteer veterinarians in an effort to boost vaccination rates.
Rabies in domestic animals and wildlife is a serous human health threat, according to environmental health director Jim Shaheen. "When we quarantine a biting animal, we make sure it is vaccinated against rabies before giving it a clean bill of health," he said. A total of 229 persons were reported bitten in 1996. Of those, eight required rabies postexposure treatment as a precaution when the biting animal couldn't be found and tested for rabies.
Vaccination of pets is the only effective method of protecting them - and their owners - from rabies. Vaccination rates in Mahoning County exceeded the statewide average for dogs and cats in 1995.
Protect yourself and your pets against rabies:
- Have your dogs, cats and ferrets vaccinated
- Don't let pets roam unattended
- Be cautious about adopting unvaccinated animals
- Don't feed, touch or adopt wild animals
- Don't leave pet food or unsecured garbage outdoors, especially at night
- Teach children to leave wild and stray animals alone
- Teach children to tell you if they've been bitten or scratched by an animal
- Always wear gloves if you have to move or handle a wild animal
- Report all animal bites immediately to the Board of Health