In rural Illinois it is not uncommon to encounter wildlife on a regular basis including on our own small campus at Blackburn. Students and faculty have reported seeing a variety of animals roaming on campus from cats to deer to foxes. Approaching these animals is often a desirable action, however, rational thinking should suggest extreme caution regarding wild animals in any situation.
Rabies is a disease often associated with raccoons and opossums, but according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common carriers of the disease are bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes and dogs. Dogs are the number one transmitters of rabies to humans. The disease spreads through contact with body fluid, notably saliva that comes from being bitten. Scratches from an infected animal can also spread rabies if saliva or other bodily fluid enters the wound.
Rabies is almost 100 percent fatal in humans. Very few people have survived the disease and there is still no cure. In the U.S. there are now only one to two deaths per year, says the CDC. There are two forms of the disease – furious and paralytic – according to the WHO. Both types begin similarly with common fever symptoms and unexplained pain in the body. Symptoms of paralytic rabies include paralysis of muscles beginning at the site of the infection, followed by coma and death. Furious rabies accounts for the majority of rabies cases and people exhibit the symptoms we typically associate with the disease: excited behavior, hydrophobia (fear of water) and hyperactivity. These symptoms may last for a few days before death occurs.
The CDC recommends getting domestic pets vaccinated against rabies as dogs account for 99 percent of all human transmissions of the disease. Several current and past Blackburn students reported having been the victim of a dog or animal bite, demonstrating that this is a common phenomena. Alumna biology pre-health professions major Cierra Smith discussed being bitten by a neighborhood dog as a young girl. She was taken to the hospital and given a rabies shot. Alumni psychology major Jesse Medina has had several encounters with animals that have left him wounded, including more than one dog bite. He said of one incident, “[A dog] had my right hand pretty chewed up… I was bleeding pretty severely.” Medina was also taken to the hospital and given a rabies shot. The CDC reports that this is the most effective way to prevent rabies transmission; it needs to be done before symptoms show.
Other victims of animal bites on campus include sophomore professional writing major Kara Aldridge-Folger, sophomore psychology major Sheliah Payne and biology professor Dr. James Bray. Each person reported being bitten as a child or young adult. The WHO reported that the majority of rabies victims are under the age of 15.
Biology professor Dr. Ed Zalisko gave some advice on dealing with animals in the wild and around your home. Zalisko said, “Wild animals should be expected to shy away from people… When you see an animal not exhibiting normal behavior, assume it is unhealthy and retreat.” He suggested if an animal is not retreating, it most likely feels cornered by you. Signs of an unhealthy animal include: not walking in a straight line (an exception being squirrels), erratic behavior and being out and about at the wrong time (nocturnal animals out during the day).
To report a suspicious animal call Macoupin County Animal Control at (217) 854-4024.