Rabies Fact Sheet

What is Rabies?

Rabies is a very serious viral infection of the central nervous system that can be gotten from the bite, scratch, or lick of an infected animal. If rabies is not treated before symptoms begin, it almost always results in death. Most people who get rabies have symptoms two to eight weeks after exposure.

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Which animals can be infected?

Animals that can be infected with rabies are skunks, raccoons, bats, foxes, unvaccinated dogs, cats, and livestock. Other animals can also be infected with rabies, so all animal bites should be reported.

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How do I recognize a rabid animal?

In any animal, the first sign of rabies is a marked change in behavior. It may become either unnaturally withdrawn or unnaturally approachable. In the furious form of rabies, the animal is excited, irritable, aggressive, and may bite or snap at anything in its path. If the animal has dumb rabies, it will seem unusually tame and friendly. Staggering, convulsions or frothing at the mouth are sometimes seen.

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What to do if you are bitten...

• If the animal is alive, try to capture it so it can be tested for rabies or quarantined. Try to prevent further biting and scratching in the capture.
• If the animal escapes, try to remember what it looked like.
• If the animal is dead, save it for examination. Only touch the animal if your hands are protected with heavy plastic or gloves. Try not to damage the head.
• Immediately wash your wound with lots of soap and water. Scrub the bitten area gently.
• If the biting animal is a pet dog or cat, get the owner's name, address,and phone number. Find out if the animal has a current rabies shot and write down the rabies tag number.
• Get medical help. Call your family doctor or closest hospital emergency room.
• Report the incident to the police.
• If your pet or livestock has been bitten by a possibly rabid animal and you must handle your animal within two hours of the incident, wear gloves and afterwards be sure to wash your hands very well with soap and water. Try to capture the possibly rabid animal. Call your veterinarian.

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Treatment When Exposed 

A safe vaccine and immune globulin is available through the Baltimore County Department of Health. The vaccine is usually given in the upper arm for a total of 5 injections over a period of 28 days. You should get a one time dose of rabies immune globulin along with the first dose of vaccine for immediate temporary immunity until the vaccine gives protection.

While the treatment is safe, there can be side effects. So, it is only used when there has been exposure to a confirmed or suspected rabid animal.

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Rabies Prevention

• Make sure your dog or cat has an up-to-date rabies shot. Dogs and cats 3 months of age or older should be vaccinated for their safety and to form a protective barrier between people and wild animals. 
• Keep your pets confined to your home or yard and walk them on a leash. 
• Don't encourage wild animals to be close to or in the house. Feed pets inside the house. Keep garbage in tightly closed trash cans. Cap chimneys. Seal off any openings in attics, under porches, in basements and outbuildings. 
• Don't keep wild animals as pets. Even a baby skunk or raccoon born in captivity can be a rabies carrier. 
• If you have to touch a dead animal, protect your hands with heavy plastic (gloves or trash bag). 
• Stay away from all wild animals and unknown dogs and cats.
• • Avoid wild animals even if they appear friendly.
  • Never try to coax a wild animal to eat from your hand.
  • Raccoons are not generally seen during daylight hours.
  • Healthy bats rarely lie on the ground or other horizontal surfaces.
    Children should know this is unusual and report it immediately to an adult.
• Children should be taught to immediately report any bite, scratch, or contact with a strange or wild animal.

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Important Phone Numbers

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Revised August 10, 2007