Rabies Alert In Palm Beach County, Florida

by Sherry Morse

A rabies alert issued in mid-July in Palm Beach County, Florida has now been extended to October 1 after two foxes and a raccoon recently tested positive for the disease. All three animals were captured in Boca Raton.

On September 9, a day after the alert was extended, another fox tested positive for the disease.

The fox had no exposure to humans, but he brings the county within one case of matching last year’s record-breaking 27 cases of rabies.

The alert was first issued on July 18th following the confirmation of eighteen rabid animals. Most of the animals that have tested positive for the disease have been raccoons.

Thirteen people who have had contact with the animals have undergone a series of rabies shots as a precaution.

Two of the three Boca Raton cases were the result of persons identifying abnormal behavior in a fox and raccoon on September 3 and August 29 and reporting it to Animal Care and Control.

The third case involved a man being bitten on the foot by a fox in the vicinity of NW 7th Street who is currently undergoing a series of vaccinations.

The alert area includes all coastal regions in the county as well as western areas north of Lantana.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can be prevented but not cured. The virus attacks the nerves and brain tissue of warm-blooded animals, including people.

Officials are advising Palm Beach County residents to take steps to reduce the risk of wild animals being near their houses, including securing garbage cans in order to eliminate food sources for wild animals.

They are also advising pet owners to make sure their pets are up to date on their rabies vaccines.

According to Palm Beach health department spokesman Tim O’Connor, the increase in rabies cases appears to be related to a surge in the area’s raccoon population.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.