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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Rabies Surveillance

Florida Department of Health in Bradford County

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can be prevented but not cured. The virus attacks the brain of warm-blooded animals, including people. Protect your pets, yourself, and your family.

  • How is rabies spread?
  • What do rabid animals look like?
  • Which animals have been reported with rabies in Florida?
  • What do I do if an animal bites me?
  • What do I do to protect myself, my family, and my pets from rabies?
  • What is the treatment protocol for people who have been exposed to rabies?
When an animal is sick with rabies, the virus is shed in the saliva and can be passed to another animal or a person, usually through a bite. Transmission may also occur if this saliva or the animal's nervous tissue enters open wounds, the mouth, nose, or eyes of another animal or person.
Animals with rabies may show strange behavior. They can be aggressive, attacking for no apparent reason, or act very tame (especially wild animals). They may not be able to eat, drink, or swallow. They may drool because they have difficulty swallowing. They may stagger or become paralyzed. Rabies will kill most animals.
Raccoons have been reported most frequently, followed by bats and foxes. Since the 1980s, rabid cats were reported more frequently than rabid dogs. Rabid bobcats, skunks, otters, horses, cattle, and ferrets have also been reported. Rabbits, squirrels, hamsters, gerbils, rats and other rodents are rarely found to be infected and have not been known to cause human rabies in Florida.
Immediately scrub the wound with lots of soap and running water for five to ten minutes. Try to get a complete description of the animal and determine where it is so that it can be picked up by animal control staff for quarantine or rabies testing. Go to your family doctor or the nearest emergency room. Call the Bthe Florida Department of Health in Bradford County (DOH-Bradford) at 904-964-7732 or Bradford County Animal Services at 904-964-9200 with your description and location of the animal. The animal will either be quarantined for ten days (if it is a dog, cat, or ferret) or be tested for rabies. If you kill the animal, be careful not to damage the head, and avoid further contact with the animal even when it is dead.
Have your veterinarian vaccinate all of your dogs, cats, ferrets, and horses against rabies, and make sure you follow your veterinarian's instructions for revaccination. Avoid contact with wild or stray animals. Never feed wild or stray animals, and avoid attracting them with outdoor food sources (like uncovered trash). Feed your pets indoors. Do not allow your pets to run free. Follow leash laws by keeping pets and livestock secured on your property. Support animal control in your community. If your animal is attacked by a wild, stray or unvaccinated animal, DO NOT examine your pet for injuries without wearing gloves. Wash your pet with soap and water to remove saliva from the attacking animal. Do not let your animal come into contact with other animals or people until the situation can be dealt with by animal control or county health department staff.
When the rabies risk assessment indicates a need, rabies post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment (rabies vaccines with or without human rabies immune globulin) is indicated. Either your family physician or an emergency room physician will make this decision.

Contact Information and Links

To report an animal bite or scratch call DOH-Bradford at 904-964-7732. To report stray dogs and cats, or for instructions regarding wild animals exhibiting aggressive or unusual behavior, call Bradford County Animal Services at 904-964-9200.