{"id":13508,"date":"2025-05-30T09:19:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T13:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=13508"},"modified":"2026-06-23T16:37:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T20:37:49","slug":"13508-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/archived-news-releases\/2025-regional-news-releases\/13508-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsylvania-Danville Health District Reminds Community of Rabies Exposure Risks and Precautions"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 30, 2025
\nMedia Contact:\u00a0<\/strong>Wesley Marshall, wesley.marshall@vdh.virginia.gov<\/p>\n

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DANVILLE, Va. \u2013 This time of the year wildlife tends to be more active and are more likely to have interactions with domestic animals of all sizes. The Pittsylvania-Danville Health District wants to remind the public of the risks of rabies to both animals and humans. The most common source of exposure to rabies is a bite by a rabid animal.\u00a0 Rabies may also be transmitted by saliva if a rabid animal comes into contact with an open wound, the mouth, eyes or nose.<\/p>\n

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. While rabies vaccines are optional for livestock and other larger animals such as horses, it is important to remember the best strategy for prevention is vaccination.<\/p>\n

To protect against possible rabies exposure, it is important to follow these guidelines:<\/p>\n