WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE BITTEN BY AN
ANIMAL
Athens City-County Health Department
Athens, Ohio
1.
What To Do If You Are Bitten
Immediately flush the wound with soap and water.
2. Contact your personal physician or medical professional to determine if further
treatment is necessary.
3. Notify the Athens City-County Health Department of the animal bite. The health
department will want to know:
A.
A description and location of the animal.
B.
Circumstances of the bite.
C.
The animal’s health/behavior at the time of the bite.
D.
Complete address and phone of the animal’s owner.
E.
The animal’s vaccination history.
What About Rabies?
Rabies is a VIRAL DISEASE that can affect most warm-blooded animals. Transmission of
rabies occurs when the VIRUS-laden saliva of a rabid animal is introduced by a bite, or
otherwise, into a fresh break in the skin. Picking up a dead animal or petting the fur is NOT
considered to be sufficient to transmit the disease.
Do not think that rabid animals can be spotted easily because they drool or foam at the
mouth. That happens only some of the time. Rabid animals appear to act abnormal and may
stagger, appear paralyzed, act restless, change the tone of their bark, or appear to be
choking. Rabid animals are not always aggressive and may act unusually docile or friendly.
Nearly 90% of Ohio Rabies cases are in Wild Animals. The worst culprits are SKUNKS,
RACCOONS, BATS, FERRETS and FOXES. Other known rabies carriers include CATS,
DOGS, DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK, DEER, GROUNDHOGS, MUSKRATS, OPOSSUM,
WEASELS and OTHER CARNIVORES. Animals that are rarely, if ever, infected include
rabbits, mice, squirrels, rats, hamsters, gerbils, moles and guinea pigs.
What About The Animal That Bit Me?
It is important to confirm whether or not the animal that bit you could have been rabid at
the time of the bite. Detain or hold the animal if it can be done safely. A HEALTHY DOG
OR CAT that bites a person should be confined and observed for TEN (10) DAYS. Any
illness during this quarantine period should be immediately evaluated by a Veterinarian and
reported to the Health Department. If signs of rabies develop, the animal should be
humanely killed and its head provided to the Health Department for examination by the
State laboratory. (The laboratory charges for testing rodents and other animals with a
highly unlikely rabies incidence.) Please place the intact head in double plastic bags and
refrigerate, but do not freeze. Any STRAY OR UNWANTED DOG OR CAT that bites a
person may be killed immediately. Avoid damage to the animal’s head, which is provided to
the Health Department for rabies examination. A WILD OR EXOTIC ANIMAL that bites
a person should be immediately killed avoiding damage to the head, which is needed for
testing by the Health Department. There is no 100% safe quarantine time for wild animals.
What If I Can’t Find The Animal?
Be sure to make note of the description of the animal and the location, and the
circumstances of the bite. If possible, have friends or family members keep looking for the
animal. The Dog Warden may be able to assist in locating and capturing a dog.
Any bite or scratch by a wild, carnivorous animal should be regarded as a possible exposure
to rabies. If the biting animal was a dog or cat, and it is healthy after the TEN (10) DAYS,
rabies would no longer be a concern.
While it is up to the PHYSICIAN to make the ultimate recommendation, the decision to
administer treatment to prevent rabies can be delayed for several days. However, if
the biting animal cannot be confirmed rabies free, the decision to administer antibody and
vaccine should be based on the behavior of the animal, the presence of rabies in the area,
and the circumstances of the bite.
Some Do’s and Don’ts
Do have pets vaccinated against rabies.
Do keep your pet on a leash when outside.
Do obtain a dog license for your dog.
Do support animal population control.
Don’t touch strange live or sick animals.
Don’t make pets of wild animals.
Don’t allow your cat/dog to roam free.
Don’t touch any injured animals including your own
injured pets.
The following agencies offer
assistance:
Athens County Dog Warden
13333 State Route 13
Millfield, Ohio 45761
(740) 593-5415
Office Hours
Mon. & Tues. 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Wed., Thurs. & Fri. 1:00-5:45 p.m.
Ohio Department of Natural
Resources Wildlife Officer
George Foreman
(740) 594-2211, extension 9980
Emergency extension 9930
Athens City-County Health
Department
Environmental Health Division
278 West Union Street
Athens, Ohio 45701
(740) 592-4431
www.health.athens.oh.us
Office Hours
Mon.—Fri. 7:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m.