10 Ways to Reduce Your
Risk of Rabies
- Vaccinate your pets
against rabies.
- Don’t keep wild
animals as pets. Americans keep more than 1.5 million exotic animals as
pets—animals which cannot be vaccinated against rabies.
- Do not handle
wildlife—dead or alive. While the virus won’t survive very long in dead
animals, you should wear moisture-proof gloves before picking them up.
- Avoid animals
displaying unnatural behavior. Wild animals who are unusually friendly or
displaying other unnatural behaviors may have the rabies virus.
- Discourage contact
between pets and wildlife. Don’t let your pets roam or encourage them to
interact with unfamiliar domestic or wild animals.
- Feed your pets
indoors. Leaving food outside often attracts stray dogs, cats, and wildlife to
your yard.
- Animal-proof your
trash. Make sure your trash lids are locked, and don’t leave bags of garbage
outside the cans.
- Prevent wild animals
from getting into the house. Prune tree branches that overhang the roof. Keep
screens on windows and cover small openings, such as chimneys, furnace ducts,
and eaves.
- Report all stray animals to
animal control. Stray animals may not be vaccinated for rabies. They also run
a high risk of exposure to wild animals who carry the disease.
Give your child some guidelines
to follow. Do not frighten young children, but make sure they learn some basic
rules about protecting themselves from strange or unfamiliar animals.
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