The warmer spring weather is encouraging more Tennesseans and their pets to go outside. That increases the possibility that either could come into contact with rabies.
Although the deadly virus is nearly non-existent in people and domestic animals in Tennessee, it does exist in the wild. Tennessee Department of Health officials say 37 animals tested positive for rabies in 2013 and all were wild.
“It still remains very important for people to immunize their dogs and cats with the rabies vaccine to protect their animals and also to protect their families as well,” says Deputy State Epidemiologist John Dunn. “Our pets often interact with wildlife and then come back into interaction with their owners.”
Dunn says skunks are the most common carriers of rabies in Tennessee. “People steer clear of skunks for the obvious reason,” says Dunn, “but we do have dogs that will interact with skunks and fight them and kill them and most often, the type of rabies we see in dogs, they’re infected with the skunk strain of rabies.”
Foxes, raccoons and bats are also among the most common carriers of rabies.
The last human case of rabies in Tennessee occurred in 2002, when a Franklin County teenager died after coming into contact with a rabid bat.
Dunn says Tennesseans can seriously minimize their risk of contracting rabies by vaccinating their pets and leaving wild animals alone.