Rabies alert issued after Department of Health confirms coyote responsible for Atlantic Beach attacks was rabid

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health confirmed to News4JAX on Friday that the coyote linked to a series of recent Atlantic Beach attacks was rabid.

The DOH issued a rabies alert for 60 days for the following boundaries in Duval County:

• Northern boundary: Modesky Park
• Southern boundary: Seagate Avenue
• Eastern boundary: Beach Avenue
• Western boundary: San Pablo Road North

The coyote believed to be behind multiple attacks on residents and pets was found dead in a junkyard on Thursday, but the threat of contracting rabies remained a possibility.

The DOH advised residents to avoid physical contact with wild animals (e.g., raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, coyotes), which carry a higher risk of human exposure and a need for rabies post-exposure treatment.

Here are tips for precautions to prevent rabies exposure:

• Immunize your pets and livestock based on your veterinarian’s recommended schedule.
• Keep pets under direct supervision and on a leash, and keep livestock secured on your property. If an animal bites your pet or livestock, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Animal Care and Protective Services at 904-630-CITY.
• Avoid contact with wild or stray animals. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract them with outdoor pet food, open garbage cans, or other sources of food. If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild or domestic animal, seek medical attention, and report the injury to DOH-Duval by calling 904-253-1295.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home; instead, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
• Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. Contact Animal Care and Protective Services at 904-630-CITY
• Prevent wildlife, including bats, from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people and pets.

Dr. Shalika Katugaha is the medical director of infectious diseases for Baptist Health. She said the first thing to do after a bite is to thoroughly wash the wound.

“Wash it with soap and water for 15 minutes to decrease the risk of rabies transmission,” Katugaha said. “After that, if you have something that kills viruses like Povidone Iodine, you should apply that. Then you should head to the emergency room for what we call post-exposure prophylaxis.”

Following the antibody treatment, you should immediately undergo a series of rabies vaccine shots.

“And those vaccines are on day 0. Then the 3rd day, the 7th day, and the 14th day,” Katugah said.

But while you’re in the ER undergoing your first round of rabies shots, you could also find yourself receiving a tetanus shot. Tetanus is also a potentially life-threatening disease that attacks the nervous system.

Doctors advise patients to receive a tetanus shot every 10 years to prevent a cut or wound from becoming severely infected. But if you get bitten by a wild animal and it’s been at least five years since your last tetanus shot, you’ll likely get another shot just to be safe.

The final step is to receive additional antibiotics.

“Animals carry a lot of different bacteria, especially in their mouth, and so doctors will see if you need common antibiotics like Augmentin to cover that,” she said.