Rabies still a threat in Indiana

It can be found in your dog. Your new kitten can carry it. Little pests that sneak into the attic are the animals most likely to pass it on, and it’s almost 100 percent fatal.
Rabies is still a concern in the United States and specifically in Indiana, officials of the Indiana State Department of Health said.

Two people in Indiana have died from rabies since 2006. Before 2006, Indiana had not seen a human case of rabies in 50 years, according to the ISDH.

Sept. 28 is World Rabies Day, which is co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Alliance for Rabies Control.

On World Rabies Day, health organizations are encouraged to provide information sessions about rabies around the world.

The ISDH is taking the opportunity to remind Hoosiers of the threat still presented
by rabies.

More than 55,000 people, mostly in Africa and Asia, die from rabies every year, according to the CDC. Rabies is completely preventable if treated immediately.

Dr. David Crabb, IU School of Medicine professor, said rabies is a severe neurological disorder that causes death and is passed through saliva and brain or nervous tissue.
Rabies is usually passed when an infected animal bites or licks the damaged skin of a human, according to the CDC.

ISDH officials said rabies in canines has been eliminated from the United States through vaccination and leash laws.

However, bats have been identified by the ISDH as the animal of most concern for rabies in Indiana. This year, 21 bats have tested positive for rabies in Indiana.

“In addition to vaccinating their pets, people should also avoid contact with wildlife,” Dr. Jennifer House, veterinary epidemiologist, said in a press release. “Since rabies in Indiana is primarily found in bats, I urge people to take extra precautions to avoid exposure
to bats.”