Released Feb. 15, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland Horse Industry Board’s Equine Health Advisory Committee is urging all horse owners in Maryland to vaccinate their horses against Rabies.
Rabies is highly a fatal disease that affects both humans and horses. Most often, the disease is spread by the saliva from the bite of an infected animal, including wildlife. Because horses can transmit the disease to humans, any human exposed to an infected horse must go through post-exposure treatment that can cost several thousand dollars for a single treatment.
Horse owners can reduce the risk of Rabies to themselves and their horses by:
- 1) establishing a routine yearly rabies vaccination program for all horses, livestock, and pets on the farm,
- 2) do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals,
- 3) be on the lookout for wildlife that exhibit abnormal behavior.
If you suspect that a pet or farm animal has rabies, contact your veterinarian and/or your local health department immediately. To report a suspected case of rabies, contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division at (410) 841-5810. For more information on Rabies, visit http://www.cdc.gov/rabies.
-30-
http://www.agnr.umd.edu/news/article.cfm?id=194237140a5a5a8f0025a649a3bff46e
Contact: Dr. Amy Burk, amyburk@umd.edu
