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2 <br />Rabies Update <br />INTRODUCTION <br />• Rabies is pandemic in the wildlife population <br />• THERE IS NO WAY TO CONTROL RABIES IN WILDLIFE POPULATIONS <br />• We must protect the human/animal interface - - -the primary problem we have is when <br />our domestic pets are unvaccinated or have contact with a rabid wild animal <br />FACTS <br />• Estimates from a formula applied to the 1990 census indicate that there are <br />approximately 45,000 domestic animals in Orange County <br />• The health department has 34,500 of those animals in the "registration database" <br />• Achieved 80% vaccination rate of the 34,500 animals in the current database - <br />(28,400) <br />• Leaves approximately 6,000 unvaccinated animals that can be tracked by address <br />• The remaining 11,000 animals in the population estimate are roughly split between <br />vaccinated and unvaccinated animals. Research has shown that "transient" <br />populations like students generally have vaccinated their pets <br />• This still leaves about 5,000 animals that are unvaccinated that can't be traced to an <br />address <br />• For the time period July 1997 - March 1998 <br />♦ Conducted 437 rabies suspect/exposure investigations <br />♦ Sent 189 specimens to the state lab for rabies testing <br />♦ Seventy -seven of the 189 tested positive for rabies <br />WHAT HAS OCHD DONE? <br />• Held 22 low -cost or no -cost rabies vaccination clinics in 1996 and 22 in 1997 (14 by <br />Animal Control and 8 by the Animal Protection Society) <br />• Conducted Rabies Awareness Education Programs in both school systems for 3 years <br />running to: <br />♦ all 4th graders in both systems <br />♦ 6th graders in Orange County School System <br />♦ 7th graders in Chapel Hill /Carrboro School System <br />• In 1996, more than 10,000 rabies booklets were distributed to students, rabies clinic <br />participants, veterinarian offices <br />• Canvassing packages have been left on citizen doors (will have map available that <br />shows the roads canvassed) <br />• Educational programs at civic /volunteer organizations (boy scout and girl scout <br />troops, Cattleman's Association) <br />• Newspaper articles at least monthly <br />• Interview on "In Touch with Orange County" cable TV show <br />l: \doadm in\rosie\rabies2. doc <br />