
DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 1997                TAG: 9703040272

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TONI GUAGENTI, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:  106 lines

VIDEO HELPS CHILDREN SEE DANGERS OF RABIES A BEACH WOMAN'S PROJECT ATTRACTS NATIONAL NOTICE AS AREAS TRY TO TAME THE DISEASE.

Vanessa Baird is known as the ``rabies lady.''

She spreads the word about the dangers of rabies so the fatal disease won't. .

While her reputation is well-known in Virginia Beach, she recently developed a prevention tool that has people in other cities and states asking her for help.

But as the Virginia Beach Health Department's rabies coordinator, she's quick to say that the idea developed from the need to protect youngsters right here.

She deals with the disease on a daily basis.

Last week, for example, she got a call from Dawn Myers, the nurse at Creeds Elementary School in rural, southern Virginia Beach; a 10-year-old fifth-grader toted a dead bat in a plastic bag to class for show and tell.

The student's teacher realized the potential for danger and delivered the furry, zip-locked varmint to the school clinic's sink, where Myers later found it.

``What are these kids doing?'' Baird asked this week after finding out about the incident.

``They need to be taught.''

That's what Baird is hoping will happen with the health department's new video: ``Kids Against Rabies.''

The 20-minute production is geared toward a younger audience and makes learning about the disease fun (kids will learn the ``Rabies Rap'' and meet Lance, a German shepherd-Husky mix who is the dog of a Health Department employee). It made its debut two weeks ago in Norfolk at the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association's annual meeting.

It's the rabies-prevention world's Star Wars-equivalent. Since its premier, it has become the buzz for those trying to battle the spread of the disease.

``That video really fills an important niche,'' said Suzanne Jenkins, assistant state epidemiologist for the Virginia Health Department in Richmond.

``We keep talking about educating children about not getting bit and what happens if they do,'' she said. ``This could have nationwide distribution.''

Jenkins said she has already received a call from someone in Ohio interested in getting a copy of the video.

``We're all requesting a copy of it,'' said Jeff Goodchild, Chesapeake Health Department's environmental health manager.

The occurrence of rabies, which is a neurological disease that is almost always fatal in humans if not treated quickly, has grown since its outbreak in Virginia Beach in 1992.

Hampton Roads, which for rabies-tracking purposes includes the Eastern Shore, has been particularly hard-hit over the past five years as suburbia continues to encroach on the natural habitat of wild animals.

In 1996, the area had its largest number of positive rabies cases ever recorded - 93.

``Rabies is still out of control for the entire East Coast,'' said F.J. Bolshazy, an environmental health specialist for Norfolk's Department of Public Health, and the person to whom the video is dedicated.

Bolshazy, or ``Mr. Bo'' as the children call him, founded the program ``Kids Against Rabies'' in the early 1990s.

``I think it's outstanding,'' Bolshazy said of the video. ``It's going to save lives for generations. In other words, today's child is tomorrow's parent.''

Baird is hoping to get grant money to reproduce the video.

The Virginia Beach Health Department doesn't have enough time or resources to reach all the children it should throughout the year, she said.

The department will use the video to supplement its rabies prevention program, which includes weekly visits to elementary schools, where environmental health employees perform live skits about rabies.

During the 1995-96 school year, the health department performed at 22 elementary schools, for more than 14,000 children.

Kathryn Brunick, president of Trantwood Elementary PTA, was instrumental in getting Baird's troupe to perform at the school in February.

``We just felt it was important for the kids to learn about animals and which ones they should stay away from,'' said the mother of four Trantwood children.

``We have raccoons that have come up in our back yard,'' Brunick said.

The video tells children about the disease in terms they can easily understand, including how to prevent contracting it and how to protect their pets against rabies.

The video even emphasizes something about bats.

``Don't ever pick up a bat, even if it's cute,'' the video proclaims.

Even though the health department visited Creeds Elementary with the performance last year, nurse Myers said she thinks the video is a great way to bolster the message.

``It presents the whole picture of why children should be mindful of prevention,'' Myers said. ILLUSTRATION: [Photo]

CHARLIE MEADS/The Virginian-Pilot

Vanessa Baird, of the Virginia Beach Health Department, created a

video to teach children about rabies. The project has interested

distant cities.

RABIES CASES

The number of confirmed rabid-animal cases in South Hampton Roads

and the Eastern Shore in 1996:

Eastern Shore 75

Virginia Beach 8

Chesapeake 5

Suffolk 4