Daily HealthBeat Tip - May 01, 2007

Rabies

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Rabies is one of those diseases in which, by the time symptoms begin, it’s most likely too late. That’s why vaccinating pets and other animals is important.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has an overview of how officials should deal with rabies. The advice comes from the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians.

CDC rabies expert Charles Rupprecht says preventing rabies also is a job for pet owners:

``What we want to do is set-up a barrier between ourselves and potentially rabbit wildlife. One of the best single things we can do is to vaccinate our pets, and set that up as a barrier between ourselves and the disease.’’ (10 seconds)

Human rabies is uncommon in the United States, but the disease is frequently found in wild animals. So if you or a pet are attacked, the attacking animal has to be captured.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 01 2007