The number of confirmed cases of animal rabies in Charles County last year is two and a half times greater than it was two years ago.  In 2005, 12 rabies cases were confirmed in Charles County.  That number doubled to 24 in 2006; and in 2007 the Charles County Health Department noted 29 animals who tested positive for the disease.

Although rabies deaths have been low for decades, the rise in rabies cases throughout Charles County puts more people at risk for exposure to the deadly and painful virus.  The Food and Drug Administration website posted an article by Audrey T. Hingley noting the increase of rabies on a national scale despite years of decline due to vaccination programs and regulations.

Human deaths from the disease are still rare in the United States. Chief of Rabies and Vector-borne Diseases division of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Kim Mitchell told The Bay Net, "There has not been a human case of rabies in Maryland since 1976."

However, According to the World Health Organization, the disease runs roughshod over much of the globe causing approximately 55,000 human deaths per year, primarily among children from Asia and Africa.  Those cases most commonly occur from dog bites.

If bitten by an animal it is up to the victim to report the bite and request the animal be quarantined by the Tri-County Animal Shelter.  It is also up to the victim to seek medical attention for the bite which may include a tetanus shot and antibiotics to avoid non-rabies related bite infections. 

Once a person is bitten or exposure is suspected and the animal is quarantined by the shelter, the Charles County Department of Health oversees the quarantine.  The Health Department recommends that postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) begin as soon as possible after exposure to those types of wildlife.  Signs of infection among wild animals are much more difficult to recognize.

The shelter observes the animal for ten days. If the animal survives the ten days without developing clinical symptoms of rabies then the CDC recommends that the vaccination should not be administered - see the CDC chart.

If the animal has an owner the owner can then take the animal home.  If the animal is a stray, it is euthanized.  The shelter feels this is necessary because the animal could still have rabies just not advanced to the contagious stage and therefore without visible clinical symptoms.  Rabies can incubate without symptoms for up to a year in animals and even longer in humans.  The only way a quarantined stray can avoid euthanasia, according to the Tri-County Animal Shelter, is if it is "double-cage quarantined". 

To determine, without visible symptoms, if an animal has rabies it is necessary to test the brain for the virus.  In the case of Southern Maryland the head of the animal is sent to Baltimore to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for testing.  

The ten day waiting period can be painstakingly slow for those bitten by a stray.  Waiting to find out if they or a loved one has been exposed, only to have the animal destroyed anyway. 

Animals most commonly infected with rabies are raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes and bats.  Most human cases occur from animal bites.  However, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) rabies can also be contracted by merely coming in contact with an infected animal’s saliva or blood.  In fact, a memorandum posted by the Charles County Health Department dated December of 2005 included a request from the CDC for confirmed rabies specimens to do a study evaluating the potential of rabies transmission via the milk of lactating animals.

Even seemingly innocent contact with animals can create a situation where a person might find themselves seeking PEP.  In September 2006 a horse at the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration in Shelbyville was diagnosed with rabies and people who petted and handled the horse during their visit to the event were sought for evaluation.

In September 2007 the Cumberland Times News reported that an aggressive bear that was killed was the first bear in Maryland to test positive for the disease.

Medpagetoday.com reported an account in May of 2006 when a 16-year-old Texas boy died from the virus.  A month earlier, the boy awoke to find a bat in his bedroom.  He was unaware of any danger from exposure and did not notice a bite.  The family released the bat not realizing the possibility of transmission.  By the time symptoms occurred, it was too late for the boy.

Only one person is known to have survived the virus after onset of symptoms without receiving the vaccine.  A teenager named Jeanna Giese was bitten by a bat in September of 2004 and did not seek medical attention until onset of symptoms.  She was given an experimental treatment that induced a coma.  This same treatment was attempted on the Texas boy, but failed.

Rabies is preventable and the best way to minimize the possibility of exposure is to vaccinate your pets and to avoid coming into contact with unfamiliar animals.

The CDC has an educational website aimed at children regarding rabies here.

Charles County Humane Society and the Charles County Health Department will sponsor a rabies clinic on Sunday, January 27th from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.  The vaccination cost is $7 per animal.In comparison, the Calvert County Health Department reported 2 cases and St. Mary's Health Department reported 9 confirmed cases of rabies for 2007.