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Rabies
What is rabies?
- Rabies is a serious
disease caused by a virus. It can kill if it's not treated right
away. If it is treated, you will be fine.
How do people get
rabies?
- People - and animals
- get rabies by being licked, bitten or scratched by an animal
with rabies.
How can I tell if
an animal has rabies?
- Animals with rabies
often act strangely. Dogs and cats, for instance, may become mean
and bite or scratch for no reason. You can't tell if an animal
has rabies just by looking at it.
What should I do
if I am bitten or scratched?
- Wash the bite or
scratch very well with soap and water right away.
- Call your family
doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency department for
treatment. Rabies is deadly and spreads easily, so all bites and
scratches from a suspected animal must be reported. Either you,
your doctor or the hospital emergency department must tell the
local health unit.
Can rabies be treated?
- Yes! If you are bitten
or scratched by an animal with rabies, you will get a series of
five shots of anti-rabies vaccine. The vaccine works and it's
safe.
What can I do to
prevent rabies?
Make sure your pets
are vaccinated against rabies every year.
Don't let your pet
run free in the neighborhood and keep them indoors at night.
Stay away from dogs
and cats you don't know or that act strangely.
Stay away from wild
animals.
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