FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) is issuing a public health advisory in an effort to locate the person or persons who may have recently come in contact with a potentially rabid raccoon in the Fort Walton Beach area.
On the morning of Wednesday, June 11, an employee of the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Fort Walton Beach found a deceased raccoon in a bucket full of water. The small raccoon had been wrapped in a towel and was most likely thrown over the fence after PAWS closed on Tuesday evening.
If you are the individual who found or cared for this animal, it is important that you undergo an assessment to determine your risk for exposure to rabies. Please contact your primary care provider or DOH-Okaloosa at (850) 833-9240, ext. 2139 to be assessed.
Okaloosa health officials urge residents to avoid contact with wild and stray animals to protect themselves from the risk of rabies exposure. In Florida, raccoons, bats and foxes, and unvaccinated cats are the animals most frequently diagnosed with rabies. Other animals that are at high risk for rabies include skunks, otters, coyotes, bobcats, and stray or unvaccinated dogs and ferrets.
“Rabies is a potentially fatal disease. It is important not to handle wild animals, stay away from animals acting abnormally, and keep pets vaccinated against rabies,” said Karen Chapman, MD, MPH, Director of DOH-Okaloosa.
Rabies is transmitted through exposure to the saliva and nervous tissue from a rabid animal through a bite, scratch, or contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, or mouth. DOH-Okaloosa works with Okaloosa County Animal Services in responding to incidents of animal bites, tests animals for rabies through the Department of Health state laboratory, and quarantines animals as necessary and provides consultation on treatment after potential exposure to rabies.
The following are steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones against rabies:
· Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
· Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Okaloosa County Animal Services at (850) 244-0196.
· Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray domestic animals from your neighborhood. To remove wild animals, call the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge at (850) 650-1880.
· Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated.
· 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.
· Do not handle or offer food to wild animals. Do not unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
· 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.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Health department seeks anyone in contact with rabid raccoon