By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
In a follow-up on rabies surveillance in Florida, the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology reported an additional six animal rabies cases in September.
This brings the total cases to 59 year to date.
Leon, Orange and Polk counties all reported five cases in 2021 to date, the most by county. 47 percent of the cases were in raccoons (28), 25 percent in foxes (15) and 15 percent in bats (9) statewide.
An animal with rabies could infect other wild or domestic animals that have not been vaccinated against rabies. All domestic animals should be vaccinated against rabies and all wildlife contact should be avoided, particularly raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and coyotes. Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm blooded animals and humans. 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.
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