Floyd County has the unenviable distinction of having the highest number of rabies cases for 2011 in Georgia, followed by Banks and Madison counties tied for second place and Gwinnett County in third place, public health officials said Wednesday.
Fifteen animals -- two dogs, three foxes and 10 raccoons -- have tested positive this year to date in Floyd, according to a news release issued by the Georgia Department of Public Health office in Rome.
Banks and Madison counties each have had 11 confirmed rabies cases, and Gwinnett, 10, officials said. They urged residents to take precautions to prevent their pets or themselves from contracting rabies, which is usually fatal if left untreated.
“The best way to prevent rabies is to have your pet vaccinated against it,” said Northwest Georgia Public Health Environmental Health Director Tim Allee. “It’s important to do it for their protection, for our protection and because it’s state law.”
Rabies probably isn’t any more prevalent in Floyd County than anywhere else in the state, Allee said. He said the county’s unusual number of confirmed cases may stem from a higher local rate of reporting animal bites and subsequent testing for rabies.
As of Sept. 30, the latest date for which statewide totals are available, Georgia had 233 confirmed animal rabies cases, compared with 277 for the first nine months of 2010.
The state reported 377 confirmed rabies case in all of 2010. Last year, the counties with the highest number of case were Cobb, 22; Franklin, 18; Madison, 14; Fulton and Hall, 13; and Walton, 10.
To combat rabies, officials said residents should take their dogs, cats and ferrets to the veterinarian on a regular basis to keep them up to date on their vaccinations; keep dogs under direction supervision and cats and ferrets, indoors; spay or neuter pets; and call animal control to remove any strays in the neighborhood, since these animals may not be vaccinated or may be ill.
More information about rabies can be obtained by contacting the Floyd County Health Department, 706-295-6316, or by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rabies website.
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