Animal Bites & Rabies

Polk County Public Health assesses the risk of rabies exposure in a person bitten or otherwise exposed to an infected animal’s saliva (OAR 333-019-0024 and -0027). Exposure to rabies is determined by contact with an infected animal’s saliva through a person’s mucous membranes or broken skin. Rabies does not penetrate intact skin or clothing. Very few bats in Oregon have rabies and rabies in other wildlife is even rarer.

To ensure the safety of our communities, Polk County Public Health works in unison with other local agencies to address animal bite reports. If you meet the above criteria please do the following:

Submit the Animal Bite Report Form: available online in English or Spanish. Or scroll down to the Supporting Documents for a paper form if you prefer to submit by fax.
Seek medical care and/or advice from your healthcare provider.
Make sure your tetanus vaccine is up to date. If it has been more than five years since your last tetanus vaccine, you may need a tetanus booster. If you are unsure of your vaccine status, please contact your healthcare provider. If you do not have a healthcare provider, you may call us at 503-623-8175 for immunization verification.

ABOUT ANIMALS

Domesticated dogs, cats, and ferrets that bite humans (and break the skin) must be observed for a 10-day period to ensure there are no signs and symptoms of rabies. During the 10 days, your pet should stay home, indoors, away from people and other animals as much as possible. If the animal in observation becomes ill or you notice abnormal behavior, please contact your veterinarian and us at 503-623-8175.
If an animal is not up to date on its rabies vaccine, or if the bite was a particularly dangerous one, the animal may be required to be quarantined and observed at a licensed establishment.
Occasionally animals in Oregon are exposed to rabies. This typically happens when the animal comes into contact with a bat and the bat has rabies.
Animals that are current on their rabies vaccines and are exposed to an animal that is known to have rabies will require a 45-day quarantine/observation period, which can most often be done at home.
Animals that are not current on their rabies vaccines require a 4–6-month quarantine period during which they cannot have direct contact with humans or other animals. Many owners choose to euthanize their pets rather than subject them to this quarantine. Please keep your pet up to date on their rabies vaccine.

RABIES IN OREGON

In Oregon, bats are the only reservoir species for rabies and other animals are rarely infected. Typically, animals acquire rabies by eating or coming in contact with a rabid bat or other rabid animal. Very few bats in Oregon have rabies and rabies in other wildlife is even rarer. Approximately 8% of the bats tested in Oregon every year are found to have rabies.

In mid-2021, Polk County Public Health and Oregon Health Officials reported a bat found at the Independence River Front Park that tested positive for rabies. That same year, 7 other bats had previously tested positive for rabies in other places in Oregon.

Here is the latest data for occurrences in Oregon:

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/DISEASESAZ/RABIES/Documents/rabiesmap2024.pdf

HOW TO STAY SAFE

Vaccinate your pets against rabies.
Watch wildlife from a distance. Don’t approach or attempt to handle wild animals.
Do not feed wild animals.
Keep garbage in secure containers and away from wildlife.
Feed pets indoors.
Seal openings in attics, basements, porches, sheds, barns and screen chimneys that might provide access to bats and other wildlife.