Eleven incidents, including one in Bordentown Township, reported in so far this year.
By: Scott Morgan
MOUNT HOLLY Three recent cases of rabies in Burlington County, including the discovery of a rabid cat in Bordentown Township, have prompted county health officials to spread the word about prevention.
On June 19, the county Board of Chosen Freeholders issued a public statement reporting that a stray cat, found in Bordentown Township on June 4, had tested positive for the disease. Officials did not specify exactly where the animal was found.
Since the release of the statement, county health officials have verified two more cases of rabies in the county a bat found in the Burlington Township area on June 11 and a raccoon found in Southampton on June 16, according to Robert Gogats, public health officer for the Burlington County Health Department.
One person currently is undergoing treatment for exposure in the Southampton raccoon case and one other person is undergoing treatment in the Bordentown Township case. Mr. Gogats would not identify the persons involved, citing confidentiality reasons.
Dave Wyche, spokesman for the county freeholders’ office, said that once rabies is confirmed in an animal, it is standard policy for the county to encourage people who think they may have been exposed to a rabid animal to seek medical attention.
Rabies is fatal to humans unless immediate medical treatment is given.
With the two new cases, the county Health Department has now identified 11 cases of rabies so far this year, four in June alone.
Last year, health officials reported 18 rabies cases throughout Burlington County. This year’s first rabies case occurred in a fox in Westampton. One person there was treated for exposure, Mr. Gogats said.
The cat discovered in Bordentown Township was the only case so far in that area, Mr. Gogats said, and is the only feline case so far this year.
As rabies is most prevalent in the summer months, Mr. Gogats said, residents should be especially aware of unknown animals. He cautioned residents to be particularly aware of bats.
"Rabies is transmitted through a bite or scratch … through the saliva," Mr. Gogats said. "Bats have very fine teeth. They can bite you and you might not even know it."
To guard against unwanted wild or stray animals entering homes, Mr. Gogats said homeowners should seal all places that animals could enter and hide. The county statement advocates capping chimneys, securing and sealing trash cans and not leaving pet food outside to attract hungry animals.
Mr. Wyche said it is not always easy to tell by looking whether an animal has rabies. Staying away from strange animals and being alert to unusual behavior, he said, are the best ways to avoid the disease. Raccoons, for example, are nocturnal animals. "If you see them in the day, that’s unusual," he said.
Mr. Wyche added, however, that a raccoon appearing in daylight does not necessarily signal rabies "it may just be hungry" but the risk is not worth it.
Mr. Gogats said animals infected with the disease go through several stages, from fear and avoidance of humans and other animals to an aggressive, irritable phase in which the infected animal lashes out at anything near it.
According to a report by Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, dogs show the most obvious outward symptoms of rabies: reversal of the dog’s general disposition (shy to friendly, for example); excessive saliva or foaming at the mouth; paralysis of jaw muscles followed by excessive drooling.
"Remember, most warm-
blooded animals are susceptible to rabies and this includes livestock. Wild animals such as skunks and raccoons all lose fear of people and may be seen in the middle of the day, rather than only at night," the report states.
Though the county Health Department has received no calls for rabid dogs this year, Mr. Gogats said pet owners should get their animals registered and vaccinated against rabies. Vaccination requires a series of shots that protect pets from getting the disease, even if they come in contact with an infected animal, Mr. Gogats said.
Mr. Gogats encouraged pet owners to take advantage of free rabies inoculation events regularly run by local municipalities. He also reminded that any strange animals could be a risk.
"Even that cute little kitten could have rabies," Mr. Gogats said.
Residents can report suspected rabies to their local animal control officers or call their municipal buildings. The Burlington County Health Department can be reached at (609) 265-5548.