Rabies Rising in Michigan: Are dog bites to blame?

Larry Buckfire

Contributor

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Michigan health officials report a rise in the number of rabies cases in Michigan.  Michigan reported more than five times the number of rabies cases last year than there were just ten years ago.  Unfortunately, rabies is often not detected or diagnosed for weeks after the a person is infected with the disease.  It often comes from a bite or scratch from an animal.

Most people associate rabies with dog bites, but in reality a large number comes from bites and scratches from racoons, bats, and even from cats.  On several occasions, a house cat brought a bat home as a "present" for his owner, only to learn that the bat had rabies.  In many of those situations, the house cat also had to be put to sleep.  It is important to vaccinate all pets, especially ones that go outdoors, to prevent this disease.

In cases involving dog bites, the injuries from the dog attack are much more severe.  In cases where rabies is not an issue, the dog bite victim often sufferes significant scarring, nerve damage, and post-traumatic stress from a dog attack.  Unlike attackes and bites from wild animals, persons attacked by a dog often have legal recourse against the owner or keeper of the dog that attacks and bites them.  Recently, a dog bite injury victim settled a claim resulting from a pit bull attack for $475,000.00.  My firm handles a number of Michigan dog bite attack cases and the injuries from these attacks are often severe and permanent.