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Rabies is a dangerous virus that anyone can get if they handle or get bitten by an animal that has the disease. Protect yourself and your family from rabies: Stay away from wild animals and be sure pets are vaccinated every year.

 

Rabies is caused by a virus and can infect both people and animals. People usually get rabies when they are bitten by an animal that is sick with the disease. Early symptoms of rabies in people can include fever, headache, and weakness. As the disease gets worse, symptoms may include difficulty sleeping , anxiety, confusion, tingling sensation usually at the site of the bite, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, salivating more than usual, difficulty swallowing, and fear of water. Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.

Avoid Wild Animals

 

More than 90% of all animal rabies cases reported to CDC each year occur in wild animals. The main animals that get rabies include raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats.

One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to avoid contact with wild animals. Do not feed or handle them, even if they seem friendly. If you see a wild animal acting strangely, report it to animal control.

Keep Pets Healthy

Family pets and other domestic animals can get rabies if they are bitten by rabid wild animals. When rabies from wild animals "spills over" into domestic animals, the risk to people is increased because of our close contact with pets.

In general, pets have a higher risk of coming into contact with wild animals that may have rabies than we do. Cats, dogs and ferrets that have not gotten their rabies shots and are exposed to rabies must be quarantined for six months, or put down, because of their risk of getting rabies after the exposure.

 

To help reduce this risk:

 

Visit your veterinarian with your pet on a regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for all cats, ferrets, and dogs. Maintain control of your pets by keeping cats and ferrets indoors and keeping dogs under direct supervision when outdoors. Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted animals that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly. Call animal control to remove all stray animals from your neighborhood since these animals may be unvaccinated. Do not feed or water your pets outside and keep your garbage securely covered. These items may attract wild or stray animals. Take Action If You Are Bitten

If you or someone in your family is exposed to a rabid animal, rabies can be prevented through a series of shots called rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

 

If you are bitten by any animal (domestic or wild), immediately wash the wound well with soap and water and see a healthcare provider. Contact animal control if you are bitten by an animal, to assist in capturing the animal for observation or rabies testing.

Be Cautious While Hiking, Camping, and Playing Outdoors

 

During the summer, many Americans love to spend time in the outdoors. Few people will ever be exposed to a rabies-suspect animal or need to see a doctor due to a potential exposure. Teach children and others never to handle live or dead wild animals, as well as unfamiliar domestic animals. Tell them to report any unusual animal behavior to an adult right away, because it could mean that the animal is very sick.

 

Some might have concerns about the presence of bats in locations such as camps. While bats have been known to expose people to rabies, most bats in a natural setting are not rabid and, in many camp situations, the presence or sighting of bats is common and normal.

However, precautions can be taken at camp sites and along trails to help minimize the risk of exposure to bats for your child or family members:

When possible, prevent bats from entering campground living quarters and other occupied spaces. Animal care and wildlife conservation agencies can provide further information on "bat-proofing." Visit the following link for more information on "bat-proofing": http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats.html Screens or mosquito netting can provide a useful barrier against direct bat contact. Teach children and other camp attendees never to handle live or dead bats, as well as unfamiliar wild or domestic animals (even if they appear friendly). Tell children to report any contact or unusual animal behavior to an adult or camp official right away. Talk With Your Family About the Seriousness of Rabies

While very few people die from rabies, life-threatening situations can arise when potential exposures occur and preventive measures are not undertaken. Each year 30,000 to 40,000 persons in the U.S. require PEP due to potential exposures to rabies.

 

To help ensure your loved ones do not face similar risks, use the above information to talk with your children and other family members about the dangers of rabies, the threat of exposure from wild animals and the things they need to do to stay healthy and rabies free.

 Many young people in the U.S. engage in sexual risk behaviors that can result in unintended health outcomes, including sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, or pregnancy. Services to promote adolescent reproductive health — including evidence-based prevention education, counseling, testing, and referral — are essential and should be delivered so all youth can benefit.

After more than a decade of improvement, trends in the sexual and reproductive health of U.S. teens and young adults have flattened, or in some instances may be worsening, according to a new CDC report ( 1.44MB, 64 pages).

For the first time, CDC has compiled available youth sexual health data from multiple sources into a single report, enabling a new analysis of sexual risk behaviors and health outcomes among teens and young adults. Some of the findings are described below.

Many Young People Experience Negative Sexual Health Outcomes

The report shows that many adolescents and young adults in the United States engage in sexual risk behaviors and experience negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. For example:

About 1 million adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 years were reported to have chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis in 2006. Nearly a quarter of females aged 15–19 years, and 45% of those aged 20–24 years, had a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection during 2003–2004. There were approximately 745,000 pregnancies among U.S. females under age 20 in 2004. In 2006, the majority of new HIV diagnoses among adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 years occurred among those aged 20–24 and among males. Approximately 100,000 females aged 10–24 years visited a hospital emergency department for a nonfatal sexual assault injury during 2004–2006. Improvements Appear to Be Slowing

Among the signs that progress has halted in some areas:

Teen birth rates increased in 2006 and 2007, following large declines from 1991 to 2005. Rates of AIDS cases among males aged 15–24 years increased during 1997–2006. Syphilis cases among teens and young adults aged 15–19 and 20–24 years have increased in both males and females in recent years. Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities Persist

The report also identifies a number of racial/ethnic disparities:

Hispanic teens aged 15–19 were much more likely to become pregnant (132.8 births per 1,000 females) compared to their non-Hispanic black (128 per 1,000) and non-Hispanic white (45.2 per 1,000) peers.

Rates of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses among young adults were highest among non-Hispanic black youth across all age groups. Moving Forward

These findings underscore the importance of sustaining efforts to promote adolescent reproductive health. Effective screening, treatment, and referral services exist, and a growing number of evidence-based prevention education, parent-child communication, and youth development programs are available to promote adolescent sexual and reproductive health. A key challenge is to ensure that these services are delivered so all youth can benefit.

More InformationAdolescent Reproductive Health Healthy Youth: Sexual Risk Behaviors HIV/AIDS Sexually Transmitted Disease Sexual Violence

They can be exciting, festive and fun–but fireworks can also be dangerous. Leaving fireworks displays to trained professionals can prevent injuries.

 

In 2007, eleven people in the United States died and an estimated 9,800 were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries. These injuries were most common on and around holiday celebrations, such as the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve.

What You Can Do

Remember—the safest way to prevent fireworks-related injuries is to leave fireworks displays to trained professionals.

What You Should KnowAbout 2 out of every 3 fireworks-related injuries in 2007 happened between June 22 and July 22. During this time period, an estimated 6,300 people were treated in U.S. emergency departments for injuries related to fireworks. More than 4 of every 10 people injured by fireworks are children under 15 years of age. Injuries from fireworks most often affect the hands, eyes, head, face, and ears. People taking part in fireworks-related activities are more frequently and severely injured than bystanders. Fireworks can cause blindness, third degree burns, and permanent scarring. They can also cause life-threatening fires. More Information

Web-based Resources

Fireworks Safety Fact Sheet Protect the Ones You Love: Burns US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fireworks Safety Web Site

Podcasts

All Unintentional Injury Podcasts

Health-e-Card

Fireworks Safety