
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 7, 1995                   TAG: 9506070079
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FAMILY WHO CARED FOR SQUIRREL NOW FACES RABIES SHOTS

A Roanoke family of four is undergoing rabies shots after learning that the baby squirrel it befriended died of the disease.

The squirrel was rescued a couple of months ago from a dog at Caru Apartments near Melrose Avenue by a grandmother who then gave the animal to her daughter's family.

A few days ago, the squirrel, which had become aggressive, died, but not before it had bitten at least one family member, said Jimmy Minnix of the Roanoke Health Department's Environmental Health Division.

The family then contacted a veterinarian, who suggested the squirrel be turned over to the Health Department to be tested for rabies.

Tuesday, the lab confirmed that the animal was rabid. Although it is "unheard of" for a squirrel to transmit rabies to humans, the family decided to go ahead with the shots, Minnix said.

The family has learned the hard way that wild animals don't make good pets.

The Health Department advised news media of the incident, Minnix said, to send the message:

"Leave wild animals alone. That's why we call them wild."

Rabies, untreated, is always fatal, and there could be more infected squirrels in the city, Minnix warned.

Animals are rated as "high" or "low" risks as rabies carriers, and currently, skunks are the highest risk, followed by raccoons and bats, he said. Most dogs and cats have been vaccinated for rabies and are less of a risk for transmitting the disease, he said.

In recent weeks, a West Virginia man died after being bitten by a bat when he was trying to look inside the animal's mouth.

Also, more than 30 people who attended a Franklin County church social are taking shots because they petted a baby raccoon someone brought to the event.

People shouldn't handle strays or wild animals, Minnix said. A person with scratches or cuts can catch rabies from an animal's saliva, he said, so bite victims aren't the only ones at risk.

Further information on rabies is available from Minnix's office at 857-7663.

by CNB