Animal Bite Investigations

The Clark County Combined Health District (CCCHD) has investigated thousands of reported animal bites within the general health district over the years. These investigations typically involve contacting the person bitten, as well as the owner or harborer of the animal and the veterinarian, to obtain the pertinent health and vaccination information for the animal involved in the biting incident. Section 3701-3-28 of the Ohio Administrative Code requires that "Whenever a person is bitten by a dog or other mammal, report of such bite shall be made within twenty-four hours to the health commissioner of the district in which such bite occurred." Typically, these incidents are reported to the health district by hospitals, physicians, urgent care facilities, dog warden, game warden, law enforcement officers, veterinarians and/or individuals, either by telephone call or by faxing an Animal Bite Report form to the CCCHD.

The animal involved in the biting incident is required to be quarantined for at least ten (10) days from the date of the bite. Quarantining of the animal by the owner, or harborer of the animal, means:

The animal must be confined to the property in the house or the yard, either fenced or tied securely away from contact with other animals and the general public, or it can be kept, at the owner’s (or harborer’s) expense, in a suitable pound or kennel within the jurisdiction of the CCCHD.
The animal is not to be sold, killed, given away or removed from the county.
If the animal becomes ill while under quarantine, the health district must be notified immediately and the animal taken to a veterinarian who must report his findings to the health district.
If the animal dies while under quarantine, the owner (or harborer) is required by law to contact the health district immediately so that the animal head may be submitted to the Ohio Department of Health Rabies Laboratory for rabies testing. The shipment of the specimen can be arranged by contacting the CCCHD at (937) 390-5600.

The animal cannot be released from quarantine until it has been properly vaccinated against the rabies virus. At the conclusion of the 10-day quarantine period, the animal must be observed by either a CCCHD sanitarian, sanitarian-in-training, or other health district representative. The overall health and behavior of the animal is observed to determine whether or not the animal is exhibiting any symptoms associated with the rabies virus and, thus, whether or not the animal could have been shedding the virus at the time of the biting incident.

What should I do if I am bitten? If you are bitten by a dog, cat or other mammal, you should get medical advice immediately. You should then contact the CCCHD at (937) 390-5600 to report the bite in order that an Animal Bite Report form, or Rabies Test Submission Report form, can be completed. The following information is important to obtain to assist us in our process of ordering a 10-day quarantine on the animal and verifying any rabies vaccination information, or submitting it to the Ohio Department of Health Rabies Laboratory for testing as quickly as possible:

ØHow, when and where the bite occurred
ØHow, when and where the bite occurred
ØBreed and description of the animal (color, markings, long or short hair)
ØIf it was a pet—name and address of owner or harborer, and any rabies vaccination information, if known
ØIf the owner is unknown—was the animal wearing a collar or tags
ØWhether the animal has been seen in the area and what direction it was traveling

Rabies Prevention and Education

What is rabies? Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system of mammals, including humans.

What is rabies exposure? A bite from a rabid animal/saliva or brain tissue from a rabid animal gets into a scratch, wound or mucous membrane.

It is the policy of the CCCHD to prevent human rabies cases through identification and isolation of animal rabies cases and through the vaccination of possible carriers. The goals of the Rabies Prevention Program are to increase the number of animals vaccinated against the rabies virus, to increase the zoonotic surveillance of the virus, to educate the general public about rabies, and to inform the public on how to avoid exposure to the virus.

Clark County had a total of 13 rabid bats from June, 2006, through July, 2007. Because of this, along with the high incidence of rabies cases in counties in eastern Ohio, and in neighboring states, the Clark County Combined Health District Board of Health adopted Resolution 103-07 on July 19, 2007, under authority of Section 3709.21 of the Ohio Revised Code and the Clark County Combined Health District Rabies Control Regulations, declaring that all dogs and cats are required to be vaccinated for rabies according to the Clark County Combined Health District Rabies Control Regulations.

All dogs, cats and ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies at three (3) months of age and revaccinated one (1) year later. At that time, they should be vaccinated annually or tri-annually. All vaccinations must be given by a licensed veterinarian—the CCCHD does not accept any rabies vaccinations given at home.

How can I protect my cat or dog? By vaccinating your animal. See your veterinarian to make sure your pet is updated on its shots. Indoor animals require rabies vaccinations because they often frequent the outdoors, or they can be exposed to a rabid bat inside of your home.

What animals carry the rabies virus? Any mammal, such as a raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote or bat can have rabies and pass it on to people or tame animals.

How can I tell if an animal has rabies? Rabies can be confirmed only in a laboratory. However, any nocturnal animal that is active by day, acts in an unusual manner, or a bat that is unable to fly, is more likely than others to be rabid.

What should I do if I come in contact with an animal? If you are bitten by a bat or other wild animal, wash the affected area thoroughly and get medical advice immediately. If you believe you have been exposed to a bat or other wild animal, or if a bat has entered your home, please call the CCCHD to determine if it should be submitted for testing.

What should I do if my pet is exposed to a bat or other wild animal? If you think your pet or domestic animal has been bitten by, or exposed to, a bat or other wild animal, please contact your veterinarian immediately and call the CCCHD to determine if the bat, or other wild animal, should be submitted for testing.

Can I stop uninvited wildlife guests?

ØBring pet food in at night
ØTightly cover your trash
ØBoard up openings to your home
ØCap your chimney

If you would like to obtain more information concerning rabies and rabies prevention, please feel free to visit the Ohio Department of Health’s website at: http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/idc/zoodis/rabies/rab1.aspx, or contact the Zoonotic Diseases Program, Ohio Department of Health. Phone: 1-888-RABIES-1 (1-888-722-4371). E-mail: Zoonoses@odh.ohio.gov

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