Apalachicola,
FL - The Florida Department of Health in Franklin County issued a rabies alert
for the Apalachicola area in response to a raccoon that tested positive. The
raccoon was found near 25th Avenue in Apalachicola. Please take extra caution
while outdoors and be aware of your surroundings at all times.
All
residents of Franklin County should be aware that rabies is present in the wild
animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated. The
public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in
Franklin County. Alerts are designed to increase awareness to the public, but
they should not give a false sense of security to areas that have not been
named as under an alert. The recent rabies alert is for 60 days.
An animal
with rabies could
infect other wild
animals or domestic
animals that have
not been vaccinated against
rabies. All domestic animals should be vaccinated against rabies and all
wildlife contact should be avoided, particularly raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks,
otters, bobcats and coyotes. Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is
fatal to warm blooded animals and humans. The only treatment for human exposure
to rabies is rabies specific immune globulin and rabies immunization. Appropriate treatment
started soon after
the exposure, will
protect an exposed
person from the disease.
The
following advice is issued:
- Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
- If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Franklin County Animal Control at 850-899-4003.
- Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood.
- Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals by leaving pet food outside, or garbage cans open.
- Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
- Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
- Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, and other similar areas, where they might come in contact with people and pets.
- Persons who have been bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should seek medical attention and report the injury to the Florida Department of Health Franklin County at 850-653-2111.
The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people
in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on
Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida
Department of Health in Franklin County, please visit
http://franklin.floridahealth.gov/index.html.
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