Published: September 30, 2008 07:44 pm      

Two raccoons test positive for rabies in Tazewell

TAZEWELL, Va. — Health officials in Tazewell County have confirmed two additional cases of rabid raccoons.

The county health department has received confirmation of raccoons testing positive for rabies in the Glenbrook Road area of Falls Mills and the Freestone Valley Road area of Tannersville.

The discovery of the rabid raccoon in the Tannersville community marked the 10th confirmed positive rabid animal this year in Tazewell County and the 11th within the Cumberland Plateau Health District. Nine of the 11 confirmed positive animals have been raccoons.

The arrival of fall doesn’t mean the end of the rabies threat, Dr. John J. Dreyzehner, executive director of the Cumberland Plateau Health District, said.

“The rabies threat is certainly year round,” Dreyzehner said. “However, we do typically see increased activity in the warmer months. But the rabies threat is a year round issue, and human interaction with wild animals or strays anytime of the year carries substantial risk.”

The raccoons were collected at residences, which raises concerns that the animals may be attracted to those homes, possibly seeking food and shelter, according to a press release issued by Brian Stanley, an environmental health manager with the Cumberland Plateau Health District.

Stanley said exposure investigations to the two raccoons are complete. However, the health department is still asking any resident within the two communities who may have been exposed to the rabid raccoons, or who may know of any animal which may have been exposed to the rabid raccoons, or those who have seen a suspicious animal, to contact the Tazewell County Health Department at (276) 988-5585, or the Tazewell County Animal Control Office at (276) 988-4160.

An oral rabies bait distribution program also will be getting underway within the next week in Southwest Virginia, and Tazewell County.

Stanley said the United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Service program will begin distribution of the oral rabies vaccine on or about Oct. 7. He said bait distribution within Tazewell County will be concentrated within the western portion of the county.

The health department reminds area residents to vaccinate their pets against rabies as required by Code of Virginia, Section 3.1-796.97:1. The law requires that dogs and cats four months of age or older be inoculated by a licensed veterinarian. The vaccine must be administered every one or three years depending upon the vaccine used.

Residents also are reminded to remove all pet foods after their pet has finished eating, and to never adopt wild animals or bring them into their homes. Residents also are reminded to never try to nurse sick animals back to health, and to prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools and other areas. Most human rabies cases in the United States are due to bat rabies, according to the health department press release.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com