Rabies Alert Issued In Pasco County

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — A rabies alert has been issued for a portion of Pasco County after a raccoon tested positive for the deadly virus earlier this week. Pasco County issued the alert, which will remain in place for 60 days, late Wednesday.

“All citizens in Pasco County should be aware that rabies is present in the wild animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated,” an email from the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County said. “The public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in Pasco County.” (For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Land O' Lakes Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Alerts are meant to raise awareness, but are not intended to “give a false sense of security to areas that have not been named as under an alert,” the email noted.

The alert covers a portion of southeast Pasco County with the following boundaries:

• West of Morris Bridge Road
• East of Ashton Oaks Boulevard
• South of State Road 54
• North of Chancey Road

Animals with rabies can infect other wild and domestic animals. With that in mind, the health department is reminding people to get their pets vaccinated. Wildlife contact should be avoided. The agency warns people to keep themselves and their pets away from raccoons, bats, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, skunks and otters in particular.

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“Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm-blooded animals and humans,” the email said. The only treatment for humans is a series of shots.

Tips For Avoiding Rabies Exposure

• Keep all pets up to date on their rabies vaccines
• If a pet is bitten by a wild animal, contact a vet immediately
• Do not handle, feed or try to attract wild animals
• Keep garbage cans properly sealed
• Do not adopt wild animals or bring them into a home
• Teach children to steer clear of unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic
• Prevent bats from entering homes and other occupied spaces by sealing up any exposed entry points
• People who are bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should seek medical attention and report injuries to Pasco County Animal Services at 727-834-3216, 813-929-1212 or 352-521-5194
• Concerns about wild animals should be directed to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission by calling 1-863-648-3203.

For more information about rabies, visit the health department online.

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