Rabies Case Confirmed In Brick: Health Department

BRICK, NJ — A raccoon that was infected with rabies bit a dog in Brick Township earlier this month, Ocean County Health Department officials confirmed Tuesday.

The incident happened in the Lake Riviera section last week, Jennifer Crawford with the health department said a raccoon sent to the state health department on Sept. 11 tested positive for rabies.

The dog was treated by its veterinarian and received a booster shot for rabies, she said.

Brick Town Veterinary Hospital posted a notice from the state Department of Health confirming the rabies finding.

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system; it affects only mammals. The virus is found in the saliva of a rabid animal and is transmitted by a bite, or possibly by saliva contamination of an open cut or the eyes.

Information from the state Department of Health says rabies occurs most often in wildlife, particularly raccoons, bats, skunks, groundhogs, and foxes. These animals represent 95 percent of the cases in the United States. Rabid animals are usually either vicious and aggressive, or may appear to be drunk and have trouble walking. Some animals may be rabid even though they appear to be normal.

People should stay away from all wild and stray animals that are aggressive or appear to be sick.

If you are bitten, clean the wound immediately with soap and water and seek medical attention right away from a physician or hospital emergency department.

If you are bitten by a wild animal:

• Try to contain the animal while taking care to prevent additional bites and exposure to saliva. Contact the animal control officer or local police for assistance. In the event the animal is euthanized (put tosleep), care should be taken to avoid damage to the brain, which should be submitted to the state rabies laboratory for testing.
• Human treatment to prevent rabies may be started immediately or delayed until the testing results are known.

• If the animal is not available for testing, the decision to start human treatment will be made by the bite victim and his/her physician based on recommendations by the local health department.

• Obtain information about the pet including owner’s name, phone, address, description of the animal, and its vaccination status.
• Biting animals should be ordered observed for 10 days by the local health department to ensure that they are free of rabies. If showing signs of rabies, the animal should be euthanized immediately and tested. If the animal dies during the 10-day observation period, it must be submitted for testing.

If you have an unvaccinated pet that is bitten, it must be treated and then quarantined for four months, the state says.

More information can be found here.

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