Health Officials Confirm Rabies Exposure in Wake and Franklin Counties
3/18/2008
Wake County health officials confirmed a case of rabies in a cat Monday, March 17, 2008. The cat is known to have been at the following addresses on the respective dates:
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2028 Howson Road, Raleigh (near Fuquay-Varina), March 1-12, 2008
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7104 Sandy Pine Drive, Youngsville (Wake County), March 12-14, 2008
Several people in Wake and Franklin counties have begun receiving prophylaxis after being exposed to the rabid cat, including adults and children.
Wake County and Franklin County staffs are coordinating animal control and public heath services.
"We don't want to alarm residents in the Wake Forest and Fuquay-Varina areas, but they should be aware of this case and the dangers associated with getting close to sick animals," said Gibbie Harris, Wake County Community Health director.
"We believe we have contacted every resident who came in contact with this particular animal, but anyone who has been scratched or bitten by an animal they do not know should always call our clinic," Harris said. "Our nurses will be able to assess if they need to seek medical treatment."
Whenever persons are bitten or scratched by an unknown animal, they should thoroughly clean the wound with soap and warm water and contact their physicians or Wake County Community Health immediately. The daytime phone number for Wake County Community Health is 919-250-4462; the after-hours number is 919-839-3059.
Wake County strongly recommends that all companion animals be vaccinated against rabies. Several rabies vaccination clinics are planned between April 16 and May 1, 2008. During these events, dogs and cats can be vaccinated for $5 and micro-chipped for identification for $10. More information on clinics is available here.
More information on rabies may be found online through the N.C. Division of Public Health (www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/rabies.html) or through the National Center for Infectious Diseases (www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies).
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