THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 23, 1996 TAG: 9602230651
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARIE JOYCE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
The man working on his car in front of his Alanton home had no reason to think he was in danger.
But a rabid raccoon suddenly leapt out from under the car and, unprovoked, bit his leg.
The man became the city's first human rabies exposure case of 1996. The health department announced the news Thursday after receiving the results of tests on the animal.
The animal was the fourth rabid raccoon found this year in the city, which is experiencing an epidemic of the deadly disease among its raccoon population.
Also this week, a raccoon attacked and killed by a pet dog in Seashore State Park tested positive for rabies. That's the second case in the park since Jan. 1.
The man, who was not identified, was attacked Sunday outside his home on Ashley Drive. The raccoon, which was very sick, apparently had wandered under the man's car while he was working on it, said Valerie Reich, environmental health supervisor with the Virginia Beach Health Department.
Animals with rabies generally act very aggressive or unusually tame and lethargic.
After the attack, the raccoon drifted to the edge of the yard and stayed there until it was captured and killed by animal control workers, she said. The man was treated to prevent the virus from infecting him.
Rabies is a fatal disease transmitted by a bite or scratch, or when the saliva of a sick animal or person makes contact with an open wound or mucous membrane.
There is no cure for the disease, caused by a virus that invades the nervous system. But people who have been exposed can be saved by quick vaccination during the disease's incubation period, which can last from a few days to a year.
The shots are no longer given in the stomach, Reich said. People who have been exposed receive a shot at the wound site and in the hip, then five shots over several days in the upper arm.
The Seashore State Park incident occurred Feb. 17. The dog, which had been vaccinated, will be confined to its owner's home for a 90-day observation period. Dogs and cats that have been vaccinated are usually safe, although they can be given a booster shot.
Seashore State Park opens for campers March 1.
``Rabies is a part of nature. It's usually a sign that a species is cramped,'' said Tony D'Andrea, the park's chief ranger of operations.
He said the staff will warn visitors to stay away from raccoons. Visitors should keep pets on leashes and should be particularly careful of small children, he said.
Reich said the problem is exacerbated by people who feed wild animals. Some raccoons that have been hand-fed will even crawl up the leg of a person offering food.
``I don't want campers to be scared to death,'' she said. ``But they need to know'' to stay away from the animals.''
There have been 43 reported incidents involving rabid animals in the city since the epidemic was first identified in 1992. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
PREVENTING RABIES
Make sure your dogs and cats are up to date on their
vaccinations. Keep them confined to your home or yard.
Do not approach wild animals. Animals with rabies don't always
appear aggressive. Sometimes they are lethargic and may let you get
near them.
Stay away from stray animals. Report strays and unvaccinated
animals.
Don't try to trap and move wild animals on your property. It's
dangerous to you, and you risk spreading the disease by moving an
infected animal to a clean area. Call animal control officials.
Report all animal bites or contact between pets and wild animals
to your local animal control or health department. Warn children to
report any bites or scratches.
If you think you may have been exposed by a wild or stray animal,
ask your doctor whether you need treatment. Injections to prevent
rabies are no longer given in the stomach.
Anyone with concerns about visiting Seashore State Park should
call the park office at 481-2131.
by CNB