Public Health officials urge: Maintain rabies vaccinations in pets!

Chatsworth (GA) – Two Murray County dogs were exposed to a rabies-infected skunk and one of the dogs was put down because it was not vaccinated against rabies.

Murray County Environmental Health Manager Jason Osgatharp reported that on Tuesday, August 19, the skunk was found in a pen with the dogs at a residence located on Crandall Ellijay Road, about four miles northeast of Chatsworth.

The skunk was sent to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory for rabies testing and on Wednesday, August 20, the lab confirmed the positive results for rabies.

Though the one dog that was unvaccinated was put to sleep, the other dog was current on its rabies vaccination; so it only required a booster shot and will be observed under quarantine for sixty days.

There was no human exposure in this incident.

Osgatharp urges residents to maintain rabies vaccinations in their pets to protect their pets, their loved ones and themselves from rabies. He stated that a local opportunity to get pets vaccinated will be at the Discount Vaccine Clinic being held this Saturday, August 23 in Chatsworth (please click on photo at top right for details).

Murray County residents can get more information about rabies and its prevention by calling their county environmental health office at (706) 695-0266, or by logging on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website at hwww.cdc.gov/features/rabiessafefamily.