Officials at the Northern Kentucky Health Department have reported an increase in animal bites and rabid animal exposures in the region. They advise that people can take several steps to prevent getting bitten and potentially contracting diseases like rabies.
Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Steve Divine, said one of the simplest ways people can protect themselves from rabies is to get their pets and farm animals vaccinated. He added that dogs, cats and ferrets all have approved rabies vaccinations and should be regularly immunized by a veterinarian. Additionally, he said people should keep their pets away from wild animals and avoid them in general.
“As far as exposure, keep a good eye on your animals so that if it’s not just in your yard make sure that it’s on a leash when you take it out,” said Divine. “Make sure yourself and especially your children don’t approach dogs they don’t know whether it’s on a leash or not on a leash and especially those running loose.”
Divine said that exposure to bats is especially prevalent in the region and increases each year. He added bites from bats are often not noticeable.
“They may be exposed to a bat and not even know it, so if you’ve got a bat in your house and you didn’t see it come in, we have to assume that there is a chance that you or somebody in your household was exposed to it. We have to treat that the same, from a public health standpoint, as if we knew you were bitten,” said Divine.
Divine and other officials from the department urge people to seek immediate medical attention in the event they are bitten by an animal. More information on rabies prevention and treatment can be found on the department’s website.