The Florida Department of Health in Hendry County issued a rabies alert for the Clewiston area.
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CLEWISTON — The Florida Department of Health in Hendry County issued a rabies alert for the Clewiston area. This is in response to a dog that tested positive on July 13, 2021.
All residents and visitors in Hendry County should be aware that rabies is present in the wild animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated. The public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in Hendry County. Alerts are designed to increase awareness to the public, but they should not get a false sense of security to areas that have not been named as under an alert.
The recent rabies alert is for 30 days. The center of the rabies alert is at Midstate Loop, and includes the following boundaries in Hendry County:
South of US Highway 27 to Hookers Point Road
East from Francisco Street to Evercane Road.
An animal with rabies could infect other wild or domestic animals that have not been vaccinated against rabies. All domestic animals should be vaccinated against rabies and all wildlife contact should be avoided, particularly raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and coyotes. Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm blooded animals and humans. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies specific immune globulin and rabies immunization. Appropriate treatment started soon after the exposure, will protect an exposed person from the disease.
Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:
For further information on rabies, go to http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/rabies/index.html or call the Florida Department of Health in Hendry County at 863-302-6067, or local animal control at 863-983-1474.
The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
Follow the Florida Department of Health on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook.
For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.