More than half of the people who die from rabies are children. Why? Children often pet or pick up stray or dead animals. Teach children to avoid stray dogs, stray cats, bats, raccoons, foxes, and other wildlife. Stress that they should not touch any live or dead animal, domestic or wild.
Most guidelines elaborate on the following points:
- Teach children to leave wild animals, stray or unknown dogs, and cats alone
- Don’t touch, pick up or handle wild animals—alive or dead
- Vaccinate pets and livestock
- Don’t let domesticated pets come in contact with wild animals
Check the Centers for Disease Control’s Rabies, a website for children.1 It’s available at https://www.cdc.gov/rabiesandkids/
This colorful, easy-to-read website explains rabies for school-age children, tells how to prevent rabies, and provides interesting facts.
The CDC recommends that anyone bitten or scratched by an animal should quickly see a medical doctor or health care provider.
For local rabies information, check websites from your state or local health departments. These websites often provide news releases, factsheets, and manuals. Often, these websites discuss more details about rabies, rabies protection, and rabies treatment in your area. To find these resources, search the web for “rabies prevention” along with your state’s name.
For example, I searched the web and found the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment provides an A to Z listing of diseases.2 The “Rabies” discussion provides information on rabies for the public; public health and health care professionals; and animal control, veterinarians, and wildlife professionals. For each group, the department provides questions and answers about rabies. Under the information for the public, The Colorado Department of Health recommends eight ways to protect you and your family:
- Do not feed, touch, or adopt wild animals, and be cautious of stray dogs and cats. Rabid animals do not always appear vicious!
- Teach children to leave wildlife alone. Be sure your child knows to tell you if an animal bites or scratches them.
- Have your veterinarian (or local animal shelter) vaccinate your pets and livestock against rabies. Keep their vaccinations up-to-date.
- Tightly close garbage cans and feed bins. Open trash and feed bags attract wild or stray animals to your home or yard.
- Feed your pets indoors; never leave pet food outside as this attracts wildlife.
- Keep outdoor pets in a fenced yard.
- Avoid all contact with bats, especially bats found on the ground. If you find a bat on the ground, don’t touch it. Report the bat and its location to your local animal control officer or health department.
- Call your doctor right away if an animal bites or scratches you. Contact your local health department to report the incident.4
Check with your local and state health departments about rabies in your community and how to protect your family about this disease.
For information at the national level, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. It provides additional information on rabies.3
Notes & Resources
1 Centers for Disease Control (2018). Rabies, a Website for children. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/rabiesandkids/ 9 January 2019.
2 Colorado Department of Health (2018). Rabies in Colorado. Colorado Department of Health. Retrieved from https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/rabies-colorado 15 December 2018.
3 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more information on rabies.
Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html 15 December 2018.
4 Rabies in Colorado. Colorado Department of Health. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/rabies-colorado. Used with permission provided March 14, 2019.
Future Blogs
Blog # 4. If You’ve Been Exposed to Rabies, What Is the Treatment?
Past Blogs
Blog # 1. A Closer Look at Rabies
Blog # 2. Do You Have A Rabid Animal in Your Yard?