Animal Bite Prevention

Goal

The goal of the Health Bureau’s Animal Bite Prevention program is to prevent animal bites that can lead to serious injury or rabies.

Animal bites pose a public health problem to the community. Bites can lead to injuries and infectious diseases, including rabies. Rabies is a preventable viral disease that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like bats, foxes, raccoons, and skunks. Domestic animals account for less than 10% of the reported rabies cases with cats, cattle, and dogs most often reported rabid. Rabies virus infects the central nervous system, causing encephalopathy and ultimately death. Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, general malaise, and headache. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include agitation, anxiety, confusion, difficulty swallowing, excitation, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water), hypersalivation, insomnia, and slight or partial paralysis. Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.

What Can You Do to Prevent the Spread of Rabies?

Be a Responsible Pet Owner:

• • Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. They may be unvaccinated and could be infected by the disease
  • Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats, and ferrets. This requirement is important not only to keep your pets from getting rabies, but also to provide a barrier of protection to you if your animal is bitten by a rabid wild animal
  • Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately
  • Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated

 

Avoid Direct Contact with Unfamiliar Animals:

• • Before traveling abroad, consult with a health care provider, travel clinic, or your health department about the risk of exposure to rabies, preexposure prophylaxis, and how you should handle exposure, should it arise
  • Enjoy wild animals (raccoons, skunks, foxes) from afar. Do not feed, handle, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter
  • Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick animals to health. Instead, call animal control or an animal rescue agency for assistance
  • Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in churches, homes, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets
  • Rabies is common in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America where dogs are the major reservoir of rabies. Tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year in these countries
  • Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. “Love your own, leave other animals alone” is a good principle for children to learn
  • When traveling abroad, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries

Dog Bite Prevention Tips

Domesticated dogs still have instincts from the wild. Children are at very high risk for bites to the face, head, and neck.

• • Always ask permission from the owner before petting a dog
  • Avoid direct eye contact with a dog. Some dogs think it is a challenge
  • BE KIND TO DOGS. Don’t chase them, tease them, pull ears or tails, or poke with sticks
  • “BE STILL LIKE A TREE” when approached by a strange dog. DO NOT run. This triggers the animal’s instinct to chase and bite
  • DO NOT disturb a dog that is caring for puppies, eating, or sleeping
  • DO NOT enter their area, such as a fenced yard. Be careful around chained dogs and dogs in cars. They are protecting their turf
  • DO NOT grab their bones, food, or toys
  • DO NOT play aggressive games with a dog such as tug of war or wrestling
  • DO NOT try to stop dogs that are fighting
  • “FEED” the dog a jacket or backpack if attacked. Use a bike to block the dog
  • If bitten wash well and see a doctor (remember details and provide as much info as possible)
  • If knocked over, roll into a ball and “BE STILL LIKE A LOG”. Cover your face, head, and neck with your hands
  • Let dogs see and sniff you before petting them. Offer a closed-fisted hand
  • Never approach an unfamiliar dog
  • Never run past a dog and scream. This excites the dog and leads to aggressive behavior
  • Report stray or strangely acting dogs

 

Signs of Rabies:

• • Acting strangely
  • Difficulty swallowing or moving
  • Foaming at the mouth (because of paralysis, they are unable to swallow their saliva).
  • Sudden behavior changes such as changing from ferocious to stupor.

Additional Information

CDC PA Department of Health

What to Do For an Animal Bite or Scratch

Your local health department is responsible for rabies tracking and prevention and for follow-up of the human bite/scratch victim.

Report an animal bite/scratch to your local health authority.

York City Residents: (717) 849-2299
York County Residents: (717) 771-4505

Additional Contact Numbers
York City Animal Enforcement: (717) 854-2762
York County Dog Law Warden: (717) 259-8651
York County SPCA: (717) 764-6109