Animal Bites / Rabies
According to Ohio Administrative Code 3701-3-28, “Whenever a person is bitten by a dog or other mammal, report of such bite shall be made within 24 hours to the health commissioner of the district in which the bite occurred.” If you have been bitten by an animal or know someone who has, please report this to the Ross County Health District.
What we do:
RCHD is required to quarantine all dogs, cats, and ferrets that bite people to observe the animal for signs of rabies. By observing the animal, health district staff can determine if the person bitten needs to seek rabies post exposure shots if rabies is detected during the 10-day quarantine.
What are the Quarantine Requirements?
The quarantine is for 10 days and is most typically done at the animal owner’s home. The purpose of the quarantine is to ensure that the biting animal does not have rabies. If the biting animal has rabies at the time it bit, the symptoms of rabies will be seen in that dog, cat or ferret within 10 days following the bite. If the animal owner chooses not to quarantine the animal for 10 days and would prefer to have the animal euthanized, then the animal must be sent to the Ohio Department of Health to be tested for rabies.
What to do if you are bitten or scratched by an animal?
- Thoroughly clean the wound area with soap and water and cover with a clean dressing or bandage.
- Immediately seek medical care with your family doctor, urgent care or emergency room. Many bites are puncture wounds that can easily become infected if not cared for properly.
- Try to obtain information about the animal’s owner including name, address and telephone number.
- Try to obtain information about the biting animal such as the type of animal, color, breed, name and rabies tag.
Make sure that the healthcare provider reports the animal bite to Ross County Health District, if not please contact the Ross County Health District at (740) 775-1158 to file an animal bite report.
Rabies
Report Animal Bites or Rabies Exposures
Rabies & Animal Bite Fact Sheet