To the Editor:

Recently there has been an increased number of late reported cases of animal bites which occur/have occurred in Howard County. We are writing this letter to share information about animal bites and rabies.

From the Diseases and Conditions Reportable in Missouri (19 CSR 20-20.020), Reportable within one day: diseases or findings shall be reported to the local health authority or to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services within one calendar day of first knowledge or suspicion by telephone, fax, or other rapid communications are:

• Animal Bites

And many other diseases. For the purpose of this letter, we will look at animal bites and rabies. There is no cure for rabies.

From the Missouri (MO) Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Division of Environmental Health and Communicable Disease Prevention Manual:

All mammal bites are reportable. A “bite wound” is defined as breaking of the skin by the teeth of an animal. In some situations, a physician’s assessment might be needed to determine whether a bite wound exists.  

Other traumatic exposures of humans to animals (such as a scratch) could result in disease transmission. The MO DHSS encourages all local public health agencies (including Howard County Public Health Department) to follow up such cases of animal scratch/injury from a mammal (dog, cat, ferret).

In an animal bite/injury incident, the animal is normally either put under a rabies quarantine for 10 days or euthanized and the brain submitted for rabies testing.  

Quarantine-for 10 days:

A veterinary or animal control facility—this is the normal procedure when an animal has not received a rabies vaccination or the vaccination is out of date. All services are at the expense of the animal owner.

Home of the animal’s owner—A less preferable method of quarantine is at the animal owner’s home. It is usually reserved for low-risk situations, i.e., the animal’s rabies vaccination is up-to-date, the animal is in apparent good health, owner is able to secure the animal on the premises. A secure area is defined as being inside the owner’s home or in a well fenced-in area outdoors. 

In almost all instances, Howard County Public Health Department will recommend that an animal bite/injury patient seek medical evaluation to assure the bite/injury victim’s wound is cleansed, tetanus vaccine is up-to-date, any need for antibiotic(s) is assessed.

For rabies control, the following four cardinal public health measures should be emphasized to the public:

• Ensure dogs, cats, and ferrets are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations; Rabies vaccinations are also available for horses, cattle, and sheep.

• Keep pets under control; do not allow them to run loose.

• Avoid contact with stray pets and wild animal’s; do not keep wild animals or wild animal cross breeds as pets.

• Report wild animals exhibiting unusual behavior or stray pets to animal control officials. (note: Howard County does not currently have an animal control officer, these reports of wild animals should be reported to law enforcement for your city/town/county.)

Thank you,

Marsha Broadus, RN/Co- Administrator 

Michelle Reynolds, RN/C0-Administrator 

Theresa Nation, RN/Public Health Nurse

Shelby Prewitt, LPN/Public Health Nurse