The rabies epidemic that has moved into Orange County can be expected to last for years, meaning Carolina employees need to adopt a long-term attitude of precaution against the deadly disease.
"Basically, we have to learn to live with it," said Ray Hackney, industrial hygiene manager with Carolina's Health and Safety Office.
"Although the number of cases of human rabies in the United States has remained low, the number of animal rabies cases is at record levels."
Rabies, which can infect and be transmitted by any mammal, has moved rapidly into the area, with 61 cases reported in Orange County during the past year.
In the past two months, 15 raccoons with rabies have been found in Chapel Hill, several of which were not far from University property.
Take precautions
Employees, students and others on campus need to be aware of the epidemic, take precautions against infection and know what to do if they see a suspicious animal or come into contact with one, said Don Gold, director of Public Safety.
"I encourage anyone who sees an animal displaying the symptoms of rabies to contact Public Safety by dialing 911 immediately," Gold said.
Common signs of rabies include the following behaviors:
* Daytime activity in animals normally active at night.
* Staggering, weakness and paralysis.
* A change in the animal's voice.
* Inability or reluctance to eat or drink.
* Drooling or frothing at the mouth.
* Convulsions.
While rabies is most commonly found in raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes, it's possible for any mammal, including squirrels, to contract the disease. Humans and domestic animals easily can contract the virus by coming into contact with infected animals.
Rabies can be passed by scratches from an infected animal or when infected saliva or brain tissue comes into contact with open wounds or breaks in the skin or mucous membranes.
If you are bitten, scratched or come into contact with any animal you suspect may be rabid, in addition to contacting Public Safety or other emergency personnel, it is important to act quickly to prevent contracting the disease.
Wash the wound thoroughly as soon as possible with soap and warm running water and contact a doctor immediately, according to guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
University employees on duty should go to the University Employee Occupational Health Clinic located in the Ambulatory Care Center, at the corner of
Columbia Street and Mason Farm Road. Except on holidays, the clinic is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Employees working during shifts
when the clinic is closed should follow procedures established by their
department.
If exposed while off-duty, employees should call their family doctor or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.
Follow blood-borne pathogens-control procedures if you help another person who has been injured by a potentially rabid animal, or if you handle any object that has been touched, drooled on, or chewed by a wild or stray animal. Employees who expect they may need to provide help to an exposed person and who have not received blood-borne pathogens training should contact Health and Safety, 2-5507.
Avoiding exposure
People can take precautions to avoid being exposed to rabies:
*Never approach or touch wild animals or pets that you do not know well.
* Avoid strange animals, even if they appear friendly.
* Never coax wild animals to eat from your hand.
* Remember that raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks generally are not seen during the day or lying on the ground.
* Tell children to report any scratch, bite, or contact with a wild animal immediately.
* Make sure pets have up-to-date vaccinations. North Carolina law requires shots for all dogs and cats of four months or older. The first shot will protect the pet for a year with subsequent shots protecting for three years. See your veterinarian for more information.
* Confine your pets to your home or yard and keep them on a leash. Pets running free are more likely to be exposed.
* Keep pets indoors at night.
* Feed pets inside the house. If you must feed them outside, bring the food dish in after 20 minutes.
* If you suspect a pet has been exposed to rabies, revaccinate the animal within three days.
* Make your house and yard unattractive to wild animals by keeping garbage in tightly-closed trash cans. Don't set trash out the night before collection.
* Cap chimneys and seal off openings in the attic, under porches, and in basements and outbuildings.
More resources
The Orange County Health Department, in cooperation with the Animal Protection Society, has established a rabies hotline people may call for answers to their rabies-related questions. The hotline, 644-3326, is staffed on weekdays, noon to 9 p.m.
Orange County also has established a web page with local information about the epidemic, http://www.state.nc.us/Orange/rabies/ocrabies.htm.
Another web site, maintained by the Kansas State University Rabies Lab, contains a comprehensive list of web links containing official rabies-related information. Its address is http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~briggs/links.html.
A free clinic at which pets may be vaccinated will be held July 27, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Orange Country Animal Shelter in Hillsborough.
Sandy Christiansen, manager of Chapel Hill Animal Control, said: "The best defense against rabies is simply to have your pet dog or cat vaccinated against the virus and not to panic but play it safe when encountering a questionable animal--wild or domesticated.
"There is no need to panic, but there is certainly a need for the utmost caution," he said.
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