Photo: AFP
A rabies alert from the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County.
Officials confirmed on Monday that an otter that bit a person and a dog in Jupiter on Saturday has tested positive for rabies.
The animal was picked up by Animal Care and Control after the attacks.
Residents in the area of Marlin Drive, as well as countywide, are being cautioned to avoid contact with any wildlife, including feral cats and report suspicious animals.
The FDOH also offered this advice:
Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm blooded animals and humans if not treated. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization. Appropriate treatment must be started as soon as possible after the exposure to protect an exposed person from the disease. The following advice is issued:
· Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
· Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If you or your pet are bitten by a wild animal, seek medical or veterinary assistance immediately and contact Animal Care & Control at 561-233-1215.
· Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood.
· Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated.
· Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.
· Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
· Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
· Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets.