MOULTRIE — Positive cases of rabies have cropped up in several Southwest Georgia counties in recent weeks, Colquitt County Health Department Environmental Health Specialist Glenn Donnelly said. Vaccinating pets and livestock and avoiding contact with wild animals are the best ways to avoid exposure to the disease.

“Since we know rabies is in the wild animal population,” Donnelly said, “we are not surprised to see positive cases now and then. We have seen more positive cases than usual recently, but that could be due to the change in the weather, animal mating season or other factors. Rather than alarming us, these cases should serve as a reminder of the importance of having pets vaccinated against rabies and making sure that the vaccinations are up to date.”

Raccoons in Baker, Dougherty and Thomas Counties all tested positive for rabies in the past few weeks. In Thomas and Dougherty, pets were exposed to the rabid raccoons. Since the pets had current vaccinations, they were given booster shots and will remain under observation for 45 days.

“That would not be the case with pets that have not been inoculated, or their inoculations have not been kept up to date,” Donnelly said. “Pet owners can save a lot of heartache if they make sure their dogs and cats are protected. Dogs and cats three months old and older should be vaccinated against rabies.”

Pet ferrets should also receive rabies vaccinations, as should valuable livestock, Donnelly said.

“All mammals are vulnerable to rabies, including horses, goats and cattle,” he said.

Rabies has been proven to be almost 100 percent preventable when prompt action is taken, Colquitt County Health Department County Nurse Manager Denise Linnenkohl said.

“It is important to report any scratch, bite or contact with a wild or stray animal to our environmental health specialists at the health department,” Linnenkohl said. “Untreated, rabies is fatal.”

The disease is transmitted mainly through bite wounds from an infected animal, Donnelly said. On rare occasions, rabies may be transmitted through fresh open cuts in the skin or by passing through mucous membranes such as the eyes, mouth or nose from the saliva of an infected animal.

Raccoons are not the only carriers of rabies, Donnelly said. One of the recent cases in Dougherty County involved exposure to a bat that tested positive for rabies. It has also been confirmed in skunks, foxes, coyotes and bobcats in the state.

For more information about rabies, contact the health department or go on-line to www.southwestgeorgiapublichealth.org.