May 8, 2025
Media Contact: Jay Duell, (757) 514-4751
Suffolk Health Department Rabies Investigation
Suffolk, Va.- The Suffolk Health Department received information today that a raccoon tested positive for rabies. The raccoon was injured and displaying neurological systems. Therefore, it was captured by Animal Control. The incident happened in the Cedar Point area of Suffolk.
Exposure of humans to rabies occurs when the saliva of an infected animal enters the body through an open wound or mucous membrane, such as with an animal bite. An animal exposure can be a serious medical event, for which prompt evaluation and complete treatment is critical. Rabies is highly preventable if vaccine is given early and as recommended. Unfortunately, without preventive treatment, by the time someone develops symptoms of rabies, there is no cure, and the disease is fatal in almost 100% of cases. The disease is also fatal in infected domestic dogs and cats that have not been vaccinated.
Angela Tillery, MBA, health director for the Western Tidewater Health District, strongly emphasizes the following recommendations for Suffolk residents to take in protecting their families and their pets from rabies:
- If your pet has been in contact with an animal that might be rabid, contact Suffolk Animal Control at (757) 514-7855 or the Suffolk Health Department at (757) 514-4751.
- Seek medical treatment promptly for any animal bite to ensure appropriate and timely evaluation and treatment. All animal exposures must be taken seriously.
- Do not approach wild or stray animals, especially raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, cats and dogs.
- Ensure all pet dogs, cats and ferrets have current rabies vaccinations. Please consult your veterinarian, Suffolk Animal Control, or the Suffolk Health Department if you have any questions about pet vaccinations.
- Confine your pets to your property.
- Securely seal garbage containers with lids.
State law requires all dogs and cats over the age of four months to be vaccinated, against rabies. For more information on rabies, contact the Suffolk Health Department at (757) 514-4751, Suffolk Animal Control at (757) 514-7855, or visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/epidemiology-fact-sheets/rabies/ or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/
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February 6, 2025
Media Contact: Kim Foster, Population Health Manager/PIO, kimberlee.foster@vdh.virginia.gov
Central Virginia Health District Reports Rabies Confirmation in Lynchburg
LYNCHBURG, Va. – After an altercation between an adult skunk and a domestic dog, the Lynchburg Health Department has received confirmation that the skunk tested positive for rabies. The skunk was in the vicinity of Simsbury Lane in the Forestdale Subdivision. The health department has investigated this situation according to its protocol and there is no further risk associated with this particular incident.
Rabies is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system and is lethal if proper medical care is not given following an exposure to the virus. The most common source of exposure to rabies is a bite by a rabid animal. Rabies may also be transmitted by saliva from a rabid animal coming into contact with open wounds, the mouth, eyes or nose. Anyone who may have been exposed to a skunk or other animal, by a bite, scratch or contact with saliva, in that area should consult with their physician and contact the Lynchburg Health Department at (434) 477-5921. You may also contact the health department by email at AskCVHD@vdh.virginia.gov.
Everyone should take commonsense measures to protect themselves and their domestic animals from rabies. Pet owners should keep their pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Virginia law requires that all dogs and cats four months of age and older be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and that vaccinations be kept current. It is important to avoid contact with wild or stray animals, and parents should be sure that their children are taught to not touch, pet or otherwise handle unknown animals.
Additional steps that can be taken to prevent rabies in people and pets include:
- Do not feed stray animals. Avoid wild animals, especially raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks. Feed your pets indoors and do not let them wander.
- Teach children to avoid contact with wild animals and pets they are not familiar with.
- Do not handle sick, injured or dead animals. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabber if you have concerns about sick or injured wildlife.
- Keep wild animals out of homes by capping chimneys with screens and blocking openings in attics, cellars and porches. Ensure trash cans have tight fitting lids.
- Do not try to trap or handle stray and wild animals. If a bat is found indoors and may have had contact with someone, do not release it. Call your local animal control officer or health department to determine if the animal should be picked up and tested for rabies.
- Report all bites to people to the local health department for investigation.
If you are bitten by a wild or stray animal do not panic. Wash the wound(s) thoroughly with warm soapy water and contact animal control, your doctor or the health department for further recommendations. For more information about rabies, visit: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/animal-contact-human-health/rabies-control/
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November 21, 2024
Media Contact: Kim Foster, Population Health Manager/PIO, kimberlee.foster@vdh.virginia.gov
Central Virginia Health District Reports Rabies Confirmation in Lynchburg
LYNCHBURG, VA. – The Lynchburg Health Department has received confirmation that a black adult cat has tested positive for rabies. The cat was in the vicinity of Taylor Road in the Richland Hills Subdivision. Anyone who may have been exposed to a cat or other animal, by a bite, scratch or contact with saliva, in that area should consult with their physician and contact the Lynchburg Health Department at (434) 477-5921. You may also contact the health department by email at askCVHD@vdh.virginia.gov.
This incident is a reminder that rabies is present in Virginia and sometimes infects domestic animals like dogs and cats. Rabies is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system and is lethal if proper medical care is not given following an exposure to the virus. The most common source of exposure to rabies is a bite by a rabid animal. Rabies may also be transmitted by saliva from a rabid animal coming into contact with open wounds, the mouth, eyes or nose.
Everyone should take commonsense measures to protect themselves and their domestic animals from rabies. Pet owners should keep their pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Virginia law requires that all dogs and cats four months of age and older be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and that vaccinations be kept current. It is important to avoid contact with wild or stray animals, and parents should be sure that their children are taught to not touch, pet or otherwise handle unknown animals.
Additional steps that can be taken to prevent rabies in people and pets include:
- Do not feed stray animals. Avoid wild animals, especially raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks. Feed your pets indoors and do not let them wander.
- Teach children to avoid contact with wild animals and pets they are not familiar with.
- Do not handle sick, injured or dead animals. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabber if you have concerns about sick or injured wildlife.
- Keep wild animals out of homes by capping chimneys with screens and blocking openings in attics, cellars and porches. Ensure trash cans have tight fitting lids.
- Do not try to trap or handle stray and wild animals. If a bat is found indoors and may have had contact with someone, do not release it. Call your local animal control officer or health department to determine if the animal should be picked up and tested for rabies.
- Report all bites to people to the local health department for investigation.
If you are bitten by a wild or stray animal do not panic. Wash the wound(s) thoroughly with warm soapy water and contact animal control, your doctor or the health department for further recommendations. For more information about rabies, visit: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/animal-contact-human-health/rabies-control/
July 19, 2023
Media Contact: Tara Rose, tara.rose@vdh.virginia.gov
SKUNK TESTS POSITIVE FOR RABIES IN DINWIDDIE COUNTY
(Dinwiddie, VA)- On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, a young black and white skunk tested positive for rabies. The skunk charged two dogs near Rives Road in McKenney, VA 23872. The Dinwiddie Health Department and Dinwiddie Animal Control continue to encourage animal owners to confirm that all pet vaccinations, especially rabies, are current.
“Please notify public health officials or animal control immediately if you live near Rives Road and think that you or your pet(s) had contact with the infected skunk. The community’s safety is our priority. Make sure your pets are vaccinated, especially against rabies, “said Crater District Health Departments Director Alton Hart, Jr., MD, MPH.
“Rabies is a preventable disease. We encourage all pet owners to vaccinate their animals to protect them and the community,” shares Toinette Waldon, Environmental Health Manager, Crater Health District.
The Health Department strongly advises that people take the following steps to prevent families and pets from being exposed to rabies:
- Vaccinate all cats, dogs and ferrets against rabies and keep them up to date.
- Avoid contact with wild animals or stray cats and dogs.
- Do not feed wild animals or stray cats and dogs.
- Report stray animals to your local animal control agency.
- Eliminate outdoor food sources around the home.
- Keep pets confined to your property or walk them on a leash.
To report a stray and/or suspicious animal, please contact Dinwiddie Animal Control at 804-469-4547. If you have concerns about exposure to rabies, contact your healthcare provider immediately. For more information on protecting your family from rabies, call 804-863-1652 or visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-epidemiology/rabies-control/ or www.cdc.gov/rabies/.
March 10, 2023
Media Contact:
Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD)
Environmental Health Division 540-204-9928
Skunk Tests Positive for the Rabies Virus in the City of Salem
SALEM, Va. — The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts would like to notify the residents in the area of Niblick Drive in Salem, that a skunk has tested positive for the rabies virus. The animal was collected on March 4.
Potential exposures to a rabid animal include bites, scratches, or contact with saliva by open wound or eyes, nose, and/or mouth. Exposures also include direct contact between your pet and the rabid animal. Anyone having information regarding any exposure to the skunk in the days leading up to March 4 should contact the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health District Environmental Health Division at 540-204-9928 or Salem Animal Control at 540-375-3038.
Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. It is preventable in domestic animals through vaccinations but is fatal to both animals and humans if left untreated.
The health district would like to remind all citizens to follow these three important guidelines:
- Ensure your pets and livestock are up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
- Report all exposures to animals (usually bites and scratches) to your doctor and the local health department.
- Enjoy wildlife from a distance – do not feed or encourage wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, or foxes to visit your premises.
Health officials have confirmed the presence of rabies in the area of Breezekrest Lane in Fincastle, VA.
A skunk was confirmed positive for rabies by the Virginia Department of Health on 11/4/2022 in the area of the Breezekrest Lane in Fincastle, VA. Botetourt County Animal Control collected the skunk on 11/01/22.
Please contact the RCAHD Environmental Health Division or the Botetourt County Animal Control if you know of any possible human or animal contact with this skunk.
Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. It is preventable in domestic animals through vaccinations but is fatal to both animals and humans if left untreated. Exposure to rabies is considered any time a bite or scratch (or other circumstance) allows saliva or central nervous system tissue from a potentially rabid animal to enter an open, fresh wound or come into contact with a mucous membrane by entering the eye, mouth, or nose.
The Code of Virginia requires pet owners (dogs and cats) to maintain current rabies vaccinations for animals four months old and older. In addition, citizens should not approach or touch any wild or stray animals, and should report any abnormal animal behavior to their local animal control dispatcher. All animal bites and rabies exposures (from wild and domestic animals) must be reported to the RCAHD Environmental Health Division at 540-204-9764.
To help prevent the spread of rabies, everyone should:
- AVOID contact with wild animals and domestic animals you do not know.
- REPORT unusual-acting animals.
- VACCINATE all of your dogs, cats and ferrets, and keep their vaccinations current.
- CALL your doctor and the local health department if you are exposed, or your veterinarian and local animal control if your pet is exposed to an animal with rabies.
