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Update posted on September 16, 2022
On September 16, 2022, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the raccoon identified in connection with the incident at Maddock’s Bar tested negative for rabies.
HHS released a statement on the situation on September 13, 2022. At that time, the whereabouts of the raccoon were being discovered.
“When people and animals like raccoons come into contact with each other, we have no choice but to consider the risk of exposure to rabies, and the best practice is to rule out rabies through testing,” said HHS Epidemiologist Amanda Bakken.
“For domestic dogs, cats and ferrets, a good understanding of the time of viral shedding is sufficient for observation time to rule out rabies. Unfortunately, in most other mammals, the time of viral shedding is not well understood. Reliable observation periods.”
For more information about animal cruelty in North Dakota, please visit ndhealth.gov/disease/rabies.
First post on September 13, 2022
North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) is notifying the public of a situation in Maddock, ND, that may result in rabies exposure. A captive raccoon was brought to Madoc Bar on Tuesday, September 6th. Anyone who has been bitten by a raccoon or has come into contact with raccoon saliva should contact a health care provider as soon as possible. Rabies exposure. “Because rabies is a serious disease with a fatality rate of nearly 100%, we are making this information available to the public as a precautionary measure,” said HHS Epidemiologist Amanda Bakken.
Rabies is a viral infection that affects mammals, including humans. In the United States, the virus spreads among wild animals and is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and foxes. Rabid wildlife can transmit rabies to unvaccinated cats, dogs, and farm animals, posing a threat to humans.
The virus is most commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. Rabies can be transmitted if saliva or nervous system tissue from a rabid animal gets into open cuts and wounds or into the eyes, nose, or mouth. The virus attacks the nervous system and causes inflammation of the brain. There is no cure and rabies is always fatal.
“If an animal bites you, you need to get medical attention as soon as possible,” Bakken said. “If the animal is a healthy dog, cat or domestic ferret, it should be confined and observed for ten days to prevent transmission of the rabies virus. If a wild animal bites you, the animal should be euthanized and tested for rabies.”
HHS recommends taking the following precautions to reduce your risk of rabies:
- Do not keep wild animals as pets. Keeping a raccoon or skunk as a pet is prohibited in North Dakota.
- Try to keep stray animals and wildlife, especially skunks, away from pets and livestock.
- Keep dogs, cats, horses and ponies up to date on rabies vaccinations. Your veterinarian can advise you on current vaccination recommendations.
- Do not leave exposed litter or pets outside as this may attract wild or stray animals to your home or yard.
- Do not approach strangers or wild animals.
- Learn how to prevent animal bites, especially in children. Teach children to never handle unknown animals without the permission of a parent or guardian and the owner of the animal.
- Report stray or unusually active animals to local animal control.
- Bat-proof your home to prevent bats from entering and interacting with people or pets.
- Avoid contact with animals when traveling, especially internationally.
In the year In 2022, six nuisance animals were reported in North Dakota, including two bats, two cats, one boa constrictor, and one skunk. For more information about animal cruelty in North Dakota, please visit ndhealth.gov/disease/rabies.
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