Deadly, grisly rabies still threat in Lowcountry

Earlier this month a red fox appeared from the shadows of a gated Dunes West neighborhood and reminded a community of an ancient disease that still lurks.

Rabies can transform a typically wary wild animal into a creature hellbent on spreading disease. The virus ravages the nervous system and destroys the brain.

It can make animals furious, flaring aggression centers in the brain and pumping bodies with adrenaline. At the other end of the spectrum, rabies can freeze skittish creatures into a stupor, paralyzed and drooling.

On Nov. 3, a red fox — normally a timid species about the size of a large cat — chased down and bit a 9-year-old boy who was on his way to catch the morning bus.

Jeff Davis, a neighbor, ran outside and called Brody Padoll into the Davises' house. When Davis and several others went out on the raised porch, the fox screamed and snarled below, then burst up the stairs and into the house.

The fox latched onto Davis' foot and bit him too, before Davis pulled the animal from his foot and threw it into his office. There, the animal churned, throwing itself against the windows before falling asleep on a dog bed, where animal control snared it.

The rabies virus is shaped like a bullet and kills with greater accuracy than its lead counterpart. Rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal if left untreated before symptoms arise.

Infected animals usually die within six to 10 days of developing symptoms. By the time an animal is visibly sick, enough virus exists for the disease to be transmitted through saliva.

Thirteen animals in Charleston County have tested positive for rabies in 2008, half of last year's total of 26. Statewide, 162 animals were confirmed rabid in 2007.

In humans, the progression of rabies is not as well defined, said Kathryn Arden, medical director for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's Region 7, which includes Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

The onset usually begins with a tingling sensation at the site of the bite, Arden said. Neurological symptoms follow, including headaches and poor balance. Walking and talking are affected. Hallucinations, fear of water and paralysis also can occur.

Once symptoms begin, death is quick, Arden said. The brain swells against the skull, inflamed and infected. The last human rabies death in the state occurred in 1959, Arden said.

News broke this month that a 15-year-old boy from Brazil, who contracted rabies from the bite of a vampire bat, is recovering after doctors used a novel treatment developed at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

The protocol was developed in 2004 when a team of doctors saved the life of a Fond du Lac teenager, who at the time was the only known person to have survived rabies without having been vaccinated.

Now, a total of three children, including a Colombian girl, have survived following close versions of the same treatment: A regimen of drug therapies and a medically induced coma to protect the brain while the virus attacked the body.

Previously, the only other five people known to have survived rabies after symptoms appeared either were vaccinated in advance or received vaccine afterward. Four of the five ended up with persistent movement difficulties.

Immediately following the attack, Jeff Davis and Brody Padoll began inoculations, which are nearly 100 percent effective in preventing rabies. The first shot consists of immune globulin and a dose of vaccine, followed by four more vaccinations.

Immune globulin is a blood product created from a healthy person who has been vaccinated against rabies. This shot is given at the site of exposure, if it's known, and the rest of the injections are given in an arm.

Human rabies vaccinations currently are paid for by DHEC to all state residents, but that is likely to change soon with budget pressures, Arden said.

In the future, South Carolina will likely follow most other states, which offer the shots free only to those who can't afford them.

About 400 South Carolinians undergo preventive treatment for rabies annually, said Sue Ferguson with DHEC.

Rabies Q&A"

WHAT IS RABIES? A serious disease that is caused by a virus. Each year, it kills more than 50,000 people and millions of animals around the world.

WHO GETS RABIES? Any mammal can. Raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, dogs and cats can get rabies. Cattle and humans also can get rabies. Animals that are not mammals — such as birds, snakes and fish — do not get rabies.

HOW DOES AN ANIMAL GET RABIES? An animal gets rabies from saliva, usually from a bite of an animal that has the disease. You cannot get rabies from blood.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF AN ANIMAL HAS RABIES? Look for changes in behavior. Wild animals may move slowly or may act as if they are tame. A pet that is usually friendly may snap at you or may try to bite.

Some signs of rabies in animals are: general sickness, problems swallowing, increased drooling and aggression.

HOW CAN I PREVENT RABIES?

— Vaccinate your dogs, cats and ferrets against rabies.

— Keep your pets under supervision.

— Do not handle wild animals. If you see a wild animal or a stray, especially if the animal is acting strangely, call an animal control officer.

— If you do get bitten by an animal, wash the wound with soap and water for at least five minutes. Call your doctor to see if you need shots.

— If you find a bat in a room with a sleeping person, seek medical advice and have the bat tested, even if there are no visible bite wounds. Bats have small teeth that may leave marks that are not easily seen.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach Jill Coley at 937-5719 or jcoley@postandcourier.com.