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MACON, MO -- For Tuesday’s Facebook Story of the day, you wanted to know more about rabies. Rabies is an infectious neurological disease that attacks the nervous system. It is most commonly found in wild animals but can be transmitted to domestic animals through being bit.

The incubation period from being bit until symptoms occur is generally two to six weeks but can be up to six years. It is important to get treated as soon as possible because once symptoms occur; death follows in a matter of days.

“The onset of symptoms is 2-10 days between the onset of symptoms and death. Rabies, there are very few people that have actually been cured from it. If you happen to be bit by an animal, it’s not an emergency, but it’s urgent. Contact your physician. Make sure you wash the wound with soap and water and with antibacterial agents such as iodine. You want to go to your doctor and have them look at it not only for rabies, but you may need a tetanus shot, antibiotics for the wound care, and then the rabies,” said Infectious Disease and Emergency Planning Nurse Cindy Mallow, R.N.

When being treated for rabies, you get the vaccine which is a one time shot and then the actual four shot treatment. This is improved from the old sever shot process that use to be in the stomach.

“Whenever you are bitten you want to make sure that the animal is detained. You want to call animal control or the local sheriff department to capture the animal and detain it. We need to watch it for at least two weeks to make sure it doesn’t develop symptoms or signs of rabies. If we are not able to detain it, if we can get the animal we can send it in to get tested at the state lab and they test the brain of the animal to see if it has rabies,” Mallow said.

There were 29 animals confirmed with rabies in Missouri last year and 10 so far this year. The best way to prevent rabies is to keep your animals up to date on their vaccinations, never interact with wild animals, and call animal control to remove and stray animals in your neighborhood.