On Monday, the Howell County Health Department announced Howell County has been placed under a rabies alert, due to an increased rate of positive rabies tests in skunks, bats and domestic animals this year.
Four cases of rabies in the county have been confirmed, and they include two skunks and a kitten in an area just south of Mtn. View and a bat in the West Plains area, said Environmental Services Supervisor Justin Frazier with the health department. That means Howell County has half of the confirmed rabies cases in Missouri so far this year, with eight cases statewide.
From 2020 through 2024 Howell County had a total of nine rabies cases, Frazier reported, adding there have been an average of 22 rabid animals per year over the past 10 years statewide, usually in skunks and bats but also domesticated species like dogs, cats, cattle and horses.
Frazier reminds everyone that rabies cases in humans are rare, but in 2008, a Texas County man died from rabies after he was bitten on the ear by a bat and failed to seek medical treatment. It was the first rabies death in a Missourian since 1959, Frazier said.
In humans the disease is curable if the infected person is treated quickly enough, but if symptoms are already present it is almost always fatal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 40,000 Americans receive the anti-rabies series of shots annually, and human deaths in the U.S. have become relatively rare because effective vaccinations have been available for dogs and cats since the 1950s, public health practices such as animal quarantine and testing are aggressively pursued and improved anti-rabies treatments have been developed.
Rabies vaccinations are available for cats and dogs from veterinarians, must be updated annually and are also available for ferrets, horses, cattle and sheep. Pet owners should be aware that if their dog or cat does not have a current rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian and is bitten by a rabid animal, the pet will either need to be euthanized or quarantined for up to six months at the owner’s expense at an approved veterinary facility.
However, a dog or cat with a current vaccine that is exposed to a rabid animal only needs a rabies booster shot followed by a 45-day home quarantine. Domestic animals are protected from rabies exposure 28 days after receiving their initial rabies vaccination.
Although rabies is transmitted to humans almost entirely through bites from rabid animals, it can also be spread through contamination of open wounds or mucous membranes with saliva or nervous tissue from a rabid animal.
“It is extremely important for anyone that has been bitten by a domestic animal or had an exposure such as a bite or scratch from a wild animal report the incident to the health department as well as their physician for a rabies risk assessment,” Frazier said. “Many people think that they can take a ‘wait and see’ approach and if symptoms develop, then they can seek treatment. Unfortunately, once symptoms are present, death is almost certain in all cases.”
If someone is bitten or otherwise exposed to a potentially rabid animal, here are the steps to follow:
To help prevent rabies transmission, ensure dogs and cats have had a rabies vaccination, don’t allow them to run loose in order to decrease possible contact with other stray pets and wild animals, and don’t keep wild animals or wild animal hybrids as pets.
Pets should not be handled without protection after being exposed to wildlife due to the potential for carrying residual saliva from the infected animal.
Finally, report wild animals exhibiting unusual behavior or stray pets to animal control officials.
