This article was taken directly from www.michigan.gov.

Officials from the Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Community Health (MDCH) are urging Michigan citizens to be pro-active and have their pets and livestock vaccinated against rabies after confirmation that a two-year-old female dog in Oakland County tested positive for rabies.  The dog had never been vaccinated against rabies and was kept outdoors in a kennel.  While any mammal can be infected with rabies, the virus is typically carried in skunks or bats in Michigan.  Testing to determine the strain of rabies virus that infected the dog is ongoing.

State law requires that dogs and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian.  It is also important to make sure cats, even those kept strictly indoors, be vaccinated against rabies.

“Rabies virus is present in the saliva and brain tissue of an infected animal,” said Corrine Miller, state epidemiologist for MDCH.  “People can be exposed to rabies when they are bitten by a rabid animal.  Other possible routes for exposure include getting infectious material in your eyes, nose, or mouth, or on fresh cuts in the skin.  Making sure pets are vaccinated and avoiding contact with stray or wild animals can reduce your risk of exposure to this potentially fatal disease.”

The family of the rabid dog was not aware of any exposure to a wild or potentially rabid animal.  The family members and several of the veterinary hospital staff were advised to receive rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) as they all may have had contact with the rabid dog’s saliva.  Combined with prompt wound cleansing, appropriately administered rabies PEP is uniformly effective in preventing rabies in exposed individuals.

Common sources of rabies are typically wild mammals like bats, skunks, raccoons, and foxes.  While bats throughout Michigan have the potential to carry rabies and spread it to pets and other animals, skunks have historically only been found to be a source of rabies in the “thumb” area of Michigan extending down to southeast Michigan.  This appears to be changing as cases of rabies associated with rabid skunks have been identified in mid-Michigan.

“Pet and livestock owners must take steps to vaccinate against rabies even in these difficult times because of the possible human exposure to the disease from interaction with horses, cattle, dogs, and cats,” said Dr. Steve Halstead, state veterinarian.  “We don’t know the full extent of the spread of rabies in skunks in Michigan, but it’s important to remind people that rabies is out there, they need to vaccinate their animals – including horses and other livestock, and avoid contact with wild animals.”

For 2010, a total of six rabid animals, including this dog, have been detected in Michigan.  The other cases include three bats, one each from Kent, Clinton and Tuscola counties, a horse from Lapeer County, and a skunk from St. Clair County.

“It is important to make sure animals attending fairs, races, exhibitions, field trials or shows receive additional vaccinations to protect against diseases they may be exposed to in group housing or stressful situations.  Owners should consult their private veterinarian to develop an appropriate vaccination program specific for their animals,” said Halstead.

For more information on rabies, please visit www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.