| ■ Protect Yourself from Rabies: Health Officials | 06.08.10 |
| Recent incidents in the United States have prompted health officials to urge people to protect themselves from rabies by preventing animal bites and seeking medical help if they believe they've been exposed to the fatal disease, USA Today reported. In May, 16-year-old Zach Jones of Houston died of rabies after being infected by a bat bite. About one percent of wild bats are rabid, and people don't always know when they've been bitten by a bat. There have been a number of rabies scares this year. In the Tucson area, residents of about 10 homes were advised to get rabies vaccinations after they reported bats in their bedrooms. In another case, warning letters were sent to about 440 people who attended a camp in New Richmond, Ohio, because bats were seen where the people slept. In Virginia, letters were sent to the families of 948 children who attended a Girl Scout camp, where there were reports of bats in the cabins, said David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department. "With rabies, we always want to err on the side of caution," Goodfriend told USA Today. "It's extremely rare ... but the outcome is so severe." |