Resident undergoing series of rabies postexposure vaccinations
North Georgia – While preparing to fish on Hot House Creek between Curtis Switch Road and Old Mill Pond Road in Mineral Bluff, Georgia on Sunday, April 7, a local resident was chased and bitten on the ankle by a raccoon.
The animal continued pursuing, so the resident shot and killed it.
The raccoon has now been tested and confirmed as positive for rabies by the Georgia Public Health Laboratory.
The resident began receiving rabies postexposure vaccinations on Sunday.
Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) consists of a regimen of one dose of immune globulin and four doses of rabies vaccine over a 14-day period and should begin as soon as possible after exposure.
A bite or scratch from any wild mammal should cause concern and be reported to a health care provider and the local environmental health office. Fannin County Environmental Health can be reached at (706) 632-3024. If calling after hours, contact the Georgia Poison Control Center, toll-free, at 1-800-222-1222.
All residents are urged to avoid wild or feral animals and to maintain rabies vaccinations in pets. If a pet receives an initial one-year vaccine, it can receive a three-year vaccination the following year.
For more information about rabies and its prevention, log onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/rabies.