1. Rabies: What scouts need to know!
4/12/2017
Rabies: What scouts need to know!
Part of knowing how to be safe when you’re enjoying the outdoors is knowing how to protect yourself against rabies. A lot of things scouts do, like hiking and camping, make it so that scouts will have a higher risk of coming in contact with wild animals, so they need to know about rabies and how to protect themselves.
This presentation was adapted from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Immunization.

2. What is Rabies? Rabies is a dangerous disease caused by a virus.
4/12/2017
What is Rabies?
Rabies is a dangerous disease caused by a virus.
Around the world, rabies kills 50,000 people and millions of animals each year.
Rabies is serious and deadly, and while it is common in certain animals in the US, it is rare in people. In some other countries, though, many people get rabies every year. Scouts can help keep rabies rare in people here in this country by learning about rabies and how to protect themselves and their pets.

3. What Does Rabies Do? Rabies causes a disease in the brain.
4/12/2017
What Does Rabies Do?
Rabies causes a disease in the brain.
This makes animals act in ways that they normally would not.
Wild animals may act nice or mean.
Rabies is a virus that causes inflammation in an animal’s brain. This inflammation may make animal’s act abnormally, so some animals who are typically really shy may try to come up to you and act friendly and some animals may act aggressively.

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Where is Rabies?
The rabies virus is only found in mammals and it is mostly found in wild mammals.
Mammals are animals that are warm-blooded, grow hair and make milk to feed their babies.
The rabies virus does not infect birds, fish, reptiles or amphibians.
Rabies is a virus that only infects mammals. Mammals are warm blooded animals who grow hair and make milk to feed their babies. (Suggestion: Talk about what mammals are and which animals are not mammals….ask the scouts if they can name some mammals.) The rabies virus does not make any other animals other than mammals sick. (So, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians cannot get sick with rabies.)

5. Any mammal can get rabies!
4/12/2017
Any mammal can get rabies!
Skunks
Raccoons
Bats
Foxes
Any mammal can get rabies. As you’ll see when we talk about it a little later, some mammals are more likely to have rabies than others, but any mammal can get it.
Cats
Dogs
Cows

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How do you get rabies?
Rabies is in the saliva and the brain of an animal with rabies.
People and animals can get rabies if they are bitten by or get saliva in their eyes, nose, mouth or a wound from an animal infected with rabies.
The virus lives in the saliva and brain tissue of rabid animals. While a bite is the most common way a person gets rabies, you can also be exposed if an rabid animal drools on a open wound in your skin or if you get wet saliva or brain tissue in your eyes, nose or mouth.

7. Bats are SPECIAL Bats are good for the environment.
4/12/2017
Bats are SPECIAL
Bats are good for the environment.
They have very small teeth .
You might not even feel their bite.
Never touch or go near a bat!
Tell an adult if:
A bat gets very near you or touches you
You see a bat in a cabin or room
You see a bat on the ground or acting oddly
Bats are very special mammals. They have wings and they are very good for the environment. Another thing that makes bats special when it comes to rabies is their very small teeth. That means there may be sometimes when a person would not know whether or not he has been bitten by a bat. So, scouts should never touch or go near a bat. Also, they should tell an adult if they see a bat on the ground or acting oddly, they wake up in a room/cabin and see a bat or if you think a bat has had contact with/lands on them.
Bat Bite

8. How does rabies make you sick?
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How does rabies make you sick?
The virus travels along the nerves to the spinal cord and brain.
The virus slowly travels along the nervous system to your brain. It’s after the virus reaches your brain that you will get sick.

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If a person or animal gets rabies, they will almost always die from it!
Most everyone who becomes sick with rabies will die from it unless a person receives treatment not too long after the exposure. That’s why it’s important to learn about rabies and protect yourself and your pets from it.

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Even though any mammal can get rabies, some mammals are more likely to get rabies and those are....
Like I said before, any mammal can get rabies, but some mammals are much more likely than others to have rabies….animals that are more likely to have rabies are…..

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Raccoons
Raccoons are curious animals and more likely to common in contact with people. In Virginia, about 300 raccoons are diagnosed with rabies every year.

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Skunks
About 150 skunks are diagnosed with rabies every year in Virginia. (Picture of striped skunk)

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Foxes
In Virginia, about 70 foxes are diagnosed with rabies every year. (Pictured here: red foxes).

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Bats
Bats are the mammal that are most likely to cause rabies in people in the US. Pictured here: big brown bats

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Ground Hogs
Large rodents like woodchucks are more likely to get rabies than small rodents like squirrels, chipmunks and mice.

16. Mammals that are LESS likely to give you rabies
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Mammals that are LESS likely to give you rabies
Squirrels
Chipmunks
Small rodents like squirrels, chipmunks, mice and rats as well as rabbits are much less likely to get rabies than the mammals that were just listed. Pictured here are common eastern chipmunk, eastern cottontail, gray squirrel and the white footed mouse.
Rats & Mice
Rabbits & Bunnies

17. Can pets get rabies? What kinds of pets could get rabies?
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Can pets get rabies? What kinds of pets could get rabies?
Can pets get rabies? What pets do you have?

18. Cats - especially stray or unvaccinated
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Cats - especially stray or unvaccinated
Yes. Pets can get rabies. Cats, especially ones that live outside all of the time or spend time outside are more likely to come in contact with a mammal that could have rabies. If a cat is not vaccinated for rabies, it is much more likely to get infected.

19. Dogs - especially stray or unvaccinated
4/12/2017
Dogs - especially stray or unvaccinated
Dogs can get rabies too. Just like cats, when dogs spend time outside, they are more likely to come in contact with a mammal that could have rabies. If a dog is not vaccinated for rabies, it is much more likely to get infected.

20. Other animals you may have that can get rabies
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Other animals you may have that can get rabies
Sheep
Cows
Other mammals you may have can get rabies too. There are rabies vaccines for a number of different mammals and a veterinarian can give you advice about vaccinating them.
Horses
Ferrets

21. Animals that CANNOT give you rabies
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Animals that CANNOT give you rabies
Birds!
Remember, anything not a mammal CANNOT give you rabies! That doesn’t mean it is necessarily OK to touch, handle or keep these animals as pets, but in some cases it may be OK. Make sure you ask an adult to learn more about what animals you can have as pets and learn about the care of any animal before you adopt it.
Pictured here are:
Birds: Cardinal (northern), a Rhode Island red hen, a Saw-whet owl, red tailed hawk
Reptiles and Amphibians: northern copperhead, eastern box turtle, green treefrog,
Reptiles &
Amphibians

22. How do you tell if an animal has rabies?
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How do you tell if an animal has rabies?
Some animals may
Act very mean
Have problems walking
Drool
BUT………………
While mammals will sometimes act in ways they normally would not if they have rabies, it is not always the case that you can tell if an animal has rabies just by how it’s acting.

23. How do you tell if an animal has rabies?
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How do you tell if an animal has rabies?
….it’s important to remember that you can’t tell if an animal has rabies just by the way it’s acting.
Animals that appear healthy may have rabies.
So, it’s also important that you take precautions not to get bitten or scratched and that you tell an adult if you are bitten or scratched by any animal no matter how it’s acting.

24. Rabies in Virginia About 500 animals per year get rabies in Virginia.
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Rabies in Virginia
About 500 animals per year get rabies in Virginia.
Raccoons, foxes and skunks are the most common animals to get rabies.
Animals like bats, cats, cows, horses and dogs also get rabies.
While any mammal can get rabies, most rabies is found in wild animals! In Virginia, about 500 mammals per year are diagnosed with rabies. Most of these are raccoons, skunks and foxes, but other mammals (like the ones we just talked about) are also diagnosed with rabies each year. Since our pets are more likely than us to come in contact with a wild animal, it is very important that we protect them. And if we protect the animals we have contact with, we’ll protect ourselves too! (Instructor note: Wild animals aren’t just found in rural environments. Wild animals, especially ones that are highly adaptable like raccoons, can be found in many environments, so people may find themselves in close proximity to wild animals and need to take precautions to keep themselves safe too).

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The best way to prevent rabies (in pets and in people) is to make sure your pets are vaccinated against rabies!!
One of the best ways to prevent rabies in pets and in people is to vaccinate pets for rabies. If we protect the animals that we have the most contact with, then we will protect ourselves too!!

26. YES!!!!!!!!! Can rabies be STOPPED? Vaccinate your pets.
4/12/2017
Can rabies be STOPPED?
YES!!!!!!!!!
Vaccinate your pets.
Stay away from stray animals.
Enjoy wildlife from a distance.
You can help stop rabies!! Make sure your pets are vaccinated and kept up to date on their vaccinations. Ask your veterinarian for advice about vaccinating. If you see a wild or stray animal that appears sick or injured, tell an adult. The adult can then call local animal control or local law enforcement (they can help give advice or intervene in the case of an ill or injured stray animal) or contact the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (they can give advice about wild animals).

27. YES!!!!!!!!! Can rabies be STOPPED?
4/12/2017
Can rabies be STOPPED?
YES!!!!!!!!!
If you are bitten or scratched by an animal (and remember…bats are special):
Tell an adult (such as a parent or scout leader) immediately
Wash the wound out with soap and water
Call your doctor or local health department right away
You can also help stop rabies by telling an adult if you have been bitten or scratched by a animal. The adult can then help figure out whether or not you need to be worried about rabies by contacting, your doctor, the local health department or local animal control agency.
(Note to instructor: Rabies vaccinations are an urgency, but not an emergency. The closer someone is exposed to the head, the more timely you should be with reporting the incident and seeking medical attention, particularly if someone is bitten in the head/neck area.)

28. Protect yourself and your pets
4/12/2017
Protect yourself and your pets
Have your veterinarian vaccinate your dogs and cats.
Ask your veterinarian about rabies vaccines that can be used in other animals.
Tell an adult if your pet is bitten by another animal and call your local animal control or health department right away.
Keep your pets from straying far away from your house.
Protect yourself and your pets by following these recommendations.

29. Protect yourself and your pets
4/12/2017
Protect yourself and your pets
Help keep wildlife that can give you rabies away from your home by:
Keeping lids on trash cans
Storing pet food either inside your house or in closed containers outside
Feeding your pets inside or bringing
their bowls in at night
You can also protect yourself and your pets by doing the kinds of things that make it less likely that wild animals will come close to your house like the recommendations listed above.

30. Protect yourself and others
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Protect yourself and others
Never touch a stray or wild animal
Never adopt a wild animal as a pet
Don’t try to feed wild mammals
Always ask permission to touch someone else’s pet
Tell an adult if:
you see a wild or stray animal acting strangely
you see an animal that looks ill or injured and might need help
Protect yourself by following these recommendations.
Instructions for adults to who are alerted to rabies incidents: Do not handle or approach stray domestic animals or wild animals. If you think a wild animal needs help, call the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) or a licensed, wildlife rehabilitator for guidance. Contact information for DGIF offices and a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators can be found at Stray domestic animals, especially if they appear ill or injured, should be brought to the attention of local law enforcement or animal control authorities. If you think a stray animal needs help, contact your local law enforcement or animal control office for guidance.

31. Practice good campsite safety
4/12/2017
“Leave NO Trace!”
Practice good campsite safety
If possible, set up cooking, eating and supply area distant from your sleeping area
Keep sleeping bags and tents free of food, food odors and beverages
Keep a clean camp
Practicing good campsite safety is good for many reasons one of which is that it makes it less likely that animals will approach your campsite. So just like you want to do the kinds of things that will decrease the likelihood that wild animals will come close to our house, you want to keep a clean campsite so wild animals won’t want to come close to it either. (Note to instructors: The distance noted in the slide between cooking and sleeping sites is typically found in campsite safety cautions about bears. Desired distances or distances that are possible may depend on the particular situation.)

32. Rabies Quiz
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33. Which of these animals can give you rabies?

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DOGS?
Only a few dogs are diagnosed with rabies every year in Virginia, but you should still not approach any dog you don’t know (at least not without asking the dog’s owner if one is around) and you should tell an adult if you are bitten by a dog. Most of the time, if you are bitten by a dog and the dog is available for monitoring, the health department will ask the owner to confine the dog to its property and observe it for 10 days. If the dog stays healthy, then you do not have to worry about rabies.

35. DOGS?
YES

36. RACOONS?

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RACOONS?
YES
Raccoons are high risk species for rabies and in Virginia, we diagnosed about 300 raccoons per year with rabies.

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SNAKES?

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SNAKES? NO
Pictured here are the eastern milksnake, eastern cottonmouth and northern rough greensnake. Remember, just because an animal can’t give you rabies does not mean that you should approach that animal. Never approach or adopt wild animals. If you see a wild animal that appears to be ill, injured or needing some assistance, contact your local Department of Game and Inland Fisheries office or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance about how to proceed.

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CATS?

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CATS?
YES
About 30 cats are diagnosed with rabies every year in Virginia. You should still not approach any cat you don’t know (at least not without asking the cat’s owner if one is around) and you should tell an adult if you are bitten by a cat. Most of the time, if you are bitten by a cat and the cat is available for monitoring, the health department will ask the owner to confine the cat to its property and observe it for 10 days. If the cat stays healthy, then you do not have to worry about rabies.

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RABBITS?
(Hint: This one’s a little tricky.)

43. YES RABBITS? (Hint: This one’s a little tricky.) 4/12/2017
Emphasize that small mammals like rabbits and squirrels are rarely diagnosed with rabies and so are much less likely to give you rabies than some other mammals like raccoons, but you should still not approach them and tell and adult if one has bitten you. Pictured here are the eastern cottontail and a breed of rabbit often kept as a pet called a French lop.

44. Rabies is caused by a virus.
True or False?
Rabies is caused by a virus.

45. True or False?
Rabies is caused by a virus.
True!

46. A bite from a snake can give you rabies.
True or False?
A bite from a snake can give you rabies.

47. True or False?
A bite from a snake can give you rabies.
False

48. The rabies virus affects the brain and spinal cord.
True or False?
The rabies virus affects the brain and spinal cord.

49. True! The rabies virus affects the brain and spinal cord.
True or False?
The rabies virus affects the brain and spinal cord.
True!

50. True or False?
If you are bitten by an animal, you should clean the wound right away.

51. True or False?
If you are bitten by an animal, you should clean the wound right away.
True!

52. True or False?
People can get rabies from the saliva of an animal with rabies.

53. True or False?
People can get rabies from the saliva of an animal with rabies.
True!

54. True or False?
You can always tell, just by looking, if an animal has rabies.

55. True or False?
You can always tell, just by looking, if an animal has rabies.
False

56. The best way to protect yourself from rabies is?
A. Never touch stray or wild animals. B. Ask your veterinarian to vaccinate your pets. C. Tell an adult if you see a wild or stray animal acting strangely. D. Keep lids on your trash cans. E. All the Above.

57. The best way to protect yourself from rabies is?
A. Never touch stray or wild animals. B. Ask your veterinarian to vaccinate your pets. C. Tell an adult if you see a wild or stray animal acting strangely. D. Keep lids on your trash cans. E. All the Above. E!

58. Learn more about Rabies
Kids Against Rabies page
Rabies control page
Look under “About DGIF” and “Wildlife Information”

59. Local contacts for help with rabies
Directory of local health departments
Find local animal control offices

60. The End