The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued an advisory to Coffee County residents after a horse tested positive for rabies this week.
The owners said they noticed the horse had scratch marks on her nose and she began rubbing and showing irritation there, according to a recent release.
They assumed the scratches came from a fox or raccoon that she had approached.
Over the next 72 hours, the horse stopped eating, her symptoms worsened, and she became violent and began attacking and biting herself.
The horse’s body was submitted to the J.B. Taylor Diagnostic Laboratory of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries in Elba where samples were taken and sent to the Alabama Department of Public Health Bureau of Clinical Laboratories in Mobile which confirmed that the horse was positive for rabies.
Other unvaccinated horses on the property are being observed for a period of time and the owner, family members, and a neighbor who was exposed have begun rabies post-exposure treatment, according to the release.
“Rabies is not as common in horses as in wildlife and domestic animals, but it is not rare,” said Dr. Dee W. Jones, State Public Health Veterinarian.
“Rabies vaccines are available for horses and other livestock if recommended by a veterinarian. I encourage all horse owners to make rabies a part of their annual vaccination even though it is not legally required like in dogs and cats.”
The ADPH has advised Alabama residents take precautions with wildlife, ensure that their pets are current on rabies vaccinations, and always report animal bites or other exposures to their medical provider and ADPH.
The department included the following additional precautions in its release:
- Do not allow pets to run loose; confine them within a fenced-in area or with a leash.
- Do not leave uneaten pet food or scraps near your residence.
- Do not illegally feed or keep wildlife as pets.
- Do not go near wildlife or domestic animals that are acting in a strange or unusual manner.
- Caution children not to go near any stray or wild animal, regardless of its behavior.
For more information, visit https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/infectiousdiseases/rabies.html
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