Pamplin Dog Tests Positive for Rabies

A pet dog in the Pamplin area tested positive for rabies on June 4, 2019 (located in Appomattox county but near Charlotte and Prince Edward). A total of 12 persons were exposed and are undergoing post-exposure treatment; eight family and friends of the dog owner and four at the veterinary clinic that treated the animal. A number of bats were found at the residence and it is thought that the dog may have gotten the disease from them. The dog had not been vaccinated for rabies. The Health Department and Animal Control urge all pet owners to have their pets vaccinated against rabies.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can be transmitted from infected wildlife to domestic animals and people. Wild animals in Virginia at high risk of being rabid include bats, raccoons, foxes and skunks; however, any mammal can get rabies. Whenever there is a concern about possible rabies exposure to a person or domestic animal, the Health Department investigates to determine if post-exposure treatment or other control measures are needed. Animal Control and the Health Department investigate a large number of bite reports involving unvaccinated dogs; and numerous reports of unvaccinated dogs or cats that have had contact with high-risk wild animals.

Vaccinating your pets for rabies helps to create a barrier between wildlife and people; failure to do so weakens this barrier and increases the risk of exposure. Vaccinating your pet means that you are protecting yourself, your family, neighbors, groomers, veterinary staff, delivery persons and anyone else who comes in contact with your pet from the possibility of rabies. Below are the top five reasons to vaccinate your pets for rabies and to keep them up-to-date:

If your unvaccinated pet has contact with an animal presumed to have rabies, Animal Control and the Health Department have the right to quarantine them in strict isolation with no contact to humans or other animals for up to four months.

If your unvaccinated pet bites a human or another animal, they will need to be confined and observed for 10 days. If they show any signs of rabies, they must be euthanized and be tested for rabies. This test can only be performed postmortem because it requires samples of brain tissue.

A rabies infected animal could come into your home unwanted. Bats are the most common cause of rabies in the United States. They can get into a home through windows, screens, chimneys, etc. Because of the significant health threat, the Health Department takes any reports of bats in the home seriously.

An indoor pet could escape from home some time during their life. If they did, they could come in contact with a rabid animal (bat, raccoon, skunk, fox, feral cat, etc).

Last, but not least, rabies vaccinations are required by law in the state of Virginia for all dogs, cats, and ferrets over four months old.

The consequences of not having your pet vaccinated for rabies are not worth the risks. Please have your pets vaccinated and keep them current. If you have questions concerning rabies, please call your local Health Department.