Pierce County Environmental Health Indicators
Oct 24, 2007 draft
ZOONOTIC DISEASES:
# of people bitten by domestic and wild animals: cats, dogs,
raccoons, skunks, bats, and others
number of people
Animal Bites Reports in Pierce County
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
other
bats
cats
dogs
2003
2004
2005
2006
year
ZOONOTIC DISEASES:
# of animals that test positive for rabies
# of animals tested for rabies
Animals Tested for Rabies in Pierce County
number of animals
60
50
# positive
40
30
# shipped to lab for
testing
20
10
0
2003
2004
2005
year
2006
Pierce County Environmental Health Indicators
Oct 24, 2007 draft
Data Source
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Reported cases may represent a fraction of
the actual number, since many people probably don’t report bites or seek treatment.1
Hazards
Injury from the bite itself and the rabies virus.
Exposure and sources
Contact with domestic and wild animals. The main source of rabies virus in our area is
bats. About 5-10% of sick and injured bats and less than 1% of healthy bats are infected
with rabies. The last suspected rabid dog was identified in Pierce County in 1987.2
Body Burden
Most rabies cases are fatal.
Human Health
Rabies is a severe viral disease that affects the central nervous system. Symptoms
normally begin 2 - 8 weeks after exposure, but the incubation period may vary. Early
symptoms include headache and fever. The disease rapidly progresses into a severe
illness, which may include agitation, confusion, paralysis, and difficulty swallowing. Most
patients then die within a few days or weeks. Both human cases of rabies identified in
Washington during the last 20 years were infected with bat rabies virus and died.3
Economic Impacts
Rabies prevention and control costs an estimated $300 million per year in the US. Costs
are shared by health agencies, universities, veterinarians, humane societies, and
individuals, who often don’t have sufficient funding to pay for testing and treatment.4
Policy Actions
Rabies prevention and control efforts in the US have lowered the number of human
rabies deaths to an average of 2or 3 per year, through pet vaccinations, animal control
programs, maintenance of rabies laboratories, and subsidizing rabies treatments.5
Personal Actions
Avoid contact with domestic and wild animals that might bite you.
 Leave domestic animals alone if you don’t know them.
 Leave wild animals alone - do not keep them as pets or handle them.
Protect pets and people – get pets vaccinated routinely. Consult your veterinarian.
If you are bitten:
 Clean the site of any animal bite with soap and water.
1
http://www.doh.wa.gov/notify/survdata/survdata.htm Pierce County health care providers, hospitals, and
veterinarians are required to notify the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department of animal bites to humans.
2, 3 http://www.doh.wa.gov/EHSPHL/factsheet/rabiesfct.htm
4 “The Ascension of Wildlife Rabies: A Cause for Public Health Concern or Intervention?” at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol1no4/rupprech.htm
5 http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/epidemiology.html
Pierce County Environmental Health Indicators
Oct 24, 2007 draft

Immediately contact the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and your health
care provider to determine the potential for rabies exposure, the need for treatment,
and whether or not to test the animal for rabies.
Resources
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Zoonotic Disease Program:
For information or to report animal bites: 253 798-7694
Veterinary Newsletters: www.tpchd.org/page.php?id=322
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Rabies Web pages: www.cdc.gov/rabies/