Rabies alert issued in this part of USA after raccoon tested positive: Signs and symptoms of the disease | – Times of India

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health in Maryland has issued an alert in the wake of a raccoon testing positive for Rabies on October 29. On November 1, the county issued an alert advising anyone who may have come into contact with a raccoon this week in the 6500 block of Shadyside Road in Shadyside to contact officials.
“Preventive treatment might be required for anyone who handled, fed, or was attacked by the infected animal. Rabies is a fatal disease, and preventive treatment (injections) must be started as soon as possible,” the officials said.
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease that infects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) of mammals. Though pets and livestock can be vaccinated against rabies, humans exposed to the virus must receive a post-exposure vaccination series for protection.

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The rabies virus spreads when the saliva of an infected animal comes in contact with an open wound or mucous membrane of any warm-blooded mammal, including wildlife, pets, or humans. Once exposed, the virus incubates in its host for weeks to months. During this incubation period, the virus travels from the site of the exposure to the brain via the central nervous system. However, during this period, the host is without symptoms and cannot spread. Once it reaches the brain, the virus starts shedding, and this is when transmission to others occurs. Following the shedding, the host usually dies within seven days of symptom onset. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rabies is nearly always fatal to humans.
Symptoms

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Symptoms in animals

You can contact the Anne Arundel County Department of Health at 410-222-7254, if you feel you or your pet has come in contact with the infected animal, or your pet shows unexplained wounds.
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