The Guilford County Department of Public Health is hosting two rabies(狂犬病) clinics this month in honor of World Rabies Day on Sept.28. The rabies vaccination(接种疫苗) will cost $5 per shot and will protect your pet for one calendar year. Dogs mustn't get loose and cats must be kept in cages.
The State of North Carolina requires dogs and cats to be vaccinated. The health department recommends that other animals that have regular contact with humans, such as horses, should be vaccinated as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rabies virus causes approximately 55,000 human deaths worldwide each year, with most of the deaths occurring in children under 15.
The rabies virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. When an animal has rabies(or is rabid), the virus circulates throughout its body and is transmitted to other animals or humans through its saliva. The most commonly infected animals are raccoons(浣熊), bats, skunks, and foxes.
The best ways to keep your pet from becoming rabid are to keep it tied when in public, as unchained pet s are easily exposed to wild animals. Feed your pet indoors if possible. Wild animals will break into your basement, outbuildings, or garage to seek food, so be sure the storage location you select for your pet food is secure. Moreover, do not try to touch, feed, or rescue wild animals. Do not pick up dead animals as the virus could still be present.
This year in Guilford County, the majority of the animal rabies cases have involved raccoons, with foxes in a very close second place. Guilford County has recorded fifteen cases of animal rabies thus far this year.