Missouri Department of Health official warns residents about rabies

(Missourinet) – Health leaders in Missouri are urging pet owners to make sure their dogs, cats, and other four-legged family members are vaccinated against rabies. 

Molly Baker, epidemiologist with the State Department of Health and Senior Services, says they were not really surprised when a rabies case was recently confirmed in a dog from southwest Missouri’s McDonald County:

Baker said:  “We do see cases of rabies virus disease in Missouri every single year. I will say that domestic animal detections are less common. Most of our rabies-positive detections occur in wildlife species, but we do see domestic animal detections occur from time to time.”

Baker says skunks and bats are the most common wild animals in Missouri that spread rabies. 

The McDonald County Health Department did not say whether the infected dog was a stray or a family pet.