BY SALLY DUNMIRE wild animal that haa loat its fear of
iiTTii humans or a pet that is sick or
HARRISBURG con- VidOUS “
tinues its advance north and east ® FIP
through the commonwealth, with Most <* these cases are going
139 cases confirmed thus far this the veterinarian
year. Wildlife is bearing the brunt s ? 1 ?‘ p ®°P*® a ™ just burying the
of the epidemic, with 90 affected vathoutgettmgthem
raccoons recorded, foUowed by test f d^ lf «* anu " al comes “*°
lesser number of skunks, bats and contact with or people,
groundhogs however, it should be tested.”
With about one-half of the virus’ *? y bites > scotches, or even
April-through-October active "* pr ° n ® to
season past, four cows, four cats do, should be considered contact.
and two dogs have also contacted never a
the disease case of someone contacting rabies
According to Dr. Robert Jones, a otber * ay ““ from a b “®> bat
Pennsylvania Department of theoretically d: the virus find its
Health veterinarian, this problem way neatb the skin through a
“may go on forever.” This year, ™ d or . K f ratch > that u . pers A °"
the epidemic is centered in Adams could P°*f lbly dev fl°P AQ
County with 46 cases, and Cum- cases to (Me have been from bites
berland, with 27. York has though,” Dr. Jones emphasized,
reported six cases; Perry, nine; 9 1 ?®. fact . tIM D r. Jones was
Mifflin, three; Lancaster, one quick to rximt out was that as the
case. Huntington County also number of cases of dog rabies has
recorded its first confirmed rabies d ®clmed, 80 th ® nuber of
case last week. ba ™ n c / ses ' to the early
Statistics indicate that the l*E s ' dog ™ bies ran between
hardest hit counties of last year, f- 000 and f cases P® r y ® ar
Bedford, Fulton, and Franklin throughout Oie entire: country-. Dr.
have found relief. Bedford Jone f P? m ‘ ed out
has reported no case this year, and P® ople d from rabies at
Fulton County had only one, a Tben ; a vaccme . was
rabid cow near Warflesburg. The d eveloped to immunize dogs
number of confirmed 1985 cases is a g a ™t rabies and the number of
also much lower in Franklin cases declined dramatically, to
County. Dr. Jones attributes the ar ° und 200 cases per year
reduction in these hard-hit areas, na ; lonwiae ' .. . , . ,
in part, to the “Infected population Cnfrespondniilyjta number of
dying off. Man, rf ‘S wild
animals, especially in the rugged cases P® r yea^ for a “ states, ihe
mountainouTand rural areaTdie a ’ era **™“ b ®L? f h™
without ever coming into contact SUI , C ® 1960 1,88 h®®" thr «® natM)n
with domestic animals or wld ®‘... .. . . ~
humans ” Significantly, 84 percent of all
Rural'residents are also ac- wM developed rabies were
customed to dealing with wild bitten either by a dog or cat.” Dr.
animals. Reports continue to J0 I1? S , , . . .
dreutate of £«gly, staggering
raccoons wandering into far- 0,6 n J“? oetense a
myards and pastured during the *l™*™ to K reduc ®“f
day, where they are quickly of contracting rabies is pet yac
diwffltched 1 cmation. “If you can afford to feed
“I wouldn’t recommend onen your P® l - you 0811 afford to vac
you see during the duyUme,” Dr.
Jones said. “The most important Reopie wiu spend more
thing to look for is a staggering on Utter than they will on
gait in a sick-looking 3”A JS”h£Lid Sg
J*
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Rabies continues
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its advance through state
The average cost of vaccination
runs between two and four dollars
per animal. Boosters should be
given on schedule. Dr. Jones also
rcommends vaccinating any
pleasure horses or prize breeding
bulls. But when it comes to an
entire herd of cows, the expense
could be prohibitive. “If you are
talking about 100 cows, consult
your local vet for advice. ’ ’
“Farm cats are probably the
most dangerous of all. They are
territorial, roam at nignt when
raccoons and skunks are on the
prowl, and do a lot of biting and
scratching by nature,” Dr. Jones
pointed out.
Especially if there are children
on the farm, vaccinating the bam
cats is an excellent idea. Children,
looking to help a side cat, could be
the most likely victims. Castrating
the male felines is a good idea also,
to help keep their numbers down.
Significantly, two out of the three
human rabies victims who died
last year were children-a 12-year
old Williamsport boy and a
Houston girl.
There is one other line of defense
against rabies, a series of three
pre-exposure injections. These are
recommended for those who, like
veterinarians, humane society
personnel, game protectors,
trappers and taxidermists, have
regular contact with large num
bers of unvaccinated animals. If
by chance one of these people who
has received the vaccination series
is bitten by a rabid animal, he
would need two additional booster
shots to avoid contracting the
disease.
For someone who is bitten by a
rabid animal without the pre
exposure series, five injections
would be required. These shots
must be given before any of the flu
like symptoms appear. Once the
symptoms have shown up, the
mortality rate is nearly 100 per
cent. In humans, the incubation
period can be as short as 12 days
and up to a year after the rabid
bite.
If you are bitten by an animal
you suspect has rabies, washing
the area as soon as possible with
soap and warm water will reduce
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18.4R34 (8 ply) E 3 *429.00
20.8R34 (8 ply) 7T. *549.00
20.8R34 (10 ply' *579.00
13.6R38 (8 ply) gj *254.00
16.9R38 (8 ply) £1 *399.00
18.4R38 (8 ply) 9 *449.00
20.8R38 (8 ply) §3 *565.00
20.8R38(10ply). . *600.00
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your chances of contracting rabies
by 80 to 90 percent. Immediately
contact a doctor, or the state
Health Department. The special
rabies hotline number is 1-800-692-
7254. After hours, on weekends or
holidays, call 1-717-737-5349.
To have a suspected animal
tested, call one of these numbers to
find out where to submit the
carcass. Be careful not to damage
the head when putting the animal
down, and refrigerate until it can
reach a lab.
Signs to look for in dairy cows
include lower milk production, loss
Threshermen hold show
The Eastern Shore Threshermen & Collectors Assoc., Inc. is
holding its 25th annual Wheat Threshing, Steam and Gas
Engine Show this weekend between Denton and
Federalsburg, Maryland on Route 313. There will be
demonstrations of wheat threshing, baling, shingle sawing,
sawmilling, rock crushing and many others, along with rides
on "Smokey Joe", a miniature steam train and a large flea
market. Free admission and free parking. Free country music
shows each evening.
Plowing contest in York Aug. 15
YORK - The York County and of 81,1811 pk>w, large plow, and the
Pennsylvania State Plowing antique plow divisions,
contests will be held Wednesday, ln addition to the completion
August 14 (rain date Thursday, there will be numerous equipment
August 15). The Plowing contest demonstrations by local dealers
brings together many farm and and farmers ranging from No-till
nonfarm folks alike. Farmers grain drills.to Antique Tractors,
compete for trophies and an op- The contest will be held on the
portunity to advance into the farm of Joe Stump two miles
National Plowing contest. outside of New Salem on Days Mill
Categories in the contest consist Roadstartingat9:ooa.m.
of appetite, reduced water intake,
sticky, copious foam around the
mouth, choking, listlessness or
aggresion. Occasionally the rabid
cow will bawl a great deal. If you
suspect one of your cows is rabid,
first isolate her from the rest.
Avoid contact with her, especially
her saliva, and call a veterinarian.
If the cow proves to be rabid, all
animals on the farm will need to be
vaccinated, including dogs and
cats. If in doubt, all persons who
may have come in contact with the
animal should be treated by a
doctor.