Rabid 'coon bites MC woman

Hiking in White Oak Canyon May 26 with her boyfriend, two younger brothers and mother, Madison County resident Kalie Sealander heard a strange snorting sound.

Then she realized where the noise was coming from.

A grunting raccoon was running up from the creek bed straight at her in broad daylight. "Not even thinking I said, 'Oh guys look! There is a raccoon. That's really cool.' Not even thinking it was daytime and we shouldn't be seeing a raccoon out on the trail."

Her party did not think it was cute - they ran as far away from the potentially rabid raccoon as possible. Her mother, Pamella Sealander, bolted in the opposite direction. Her boyfriend, Evan Moore, scrambled up a hillside flanking the canyon, as did her younger brother, Riley Sealander, 11. She and her other brother, Hayden Sealander, 14, took off, but Hayden was quicker on his feet.

The raccoon chose to chase her and before she knew it, the raccoon sunk its teeth into her left leg and held on for dear life until her boyfriend returned and came at it with a stick. He grabbed the raccoon behind the neck and beat the raccoon, which was still clinging to her leg, four or five times before the stick broke.

Then, Kalie handed him a rock and he smashed the raccoon with that two or three times till it was unconscious and continued a few more times to make sure it was dead.

"He had gotten me pretty good. He hung on for quite awhile," Sealander said.

Luckily, her mother had brought a first aid kit and told everyone to not toss the raccoon into the Robinson River, which flows through the canyon, but instead to keep it to be tested for rabies.

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. The rabies virus is spread from an infected animal through a bite or by getting saliva or brain tissue in a wound. It is also possible, but rare, to get rabies from infectious material that gets directly into your eyes, nose or mouth.

They contacted the health department and animal control right away.

They got it tested immediately for rabies and the results came back positive. Luckily, she got four shots in the wound and three other shots right away. She is expected to get a series of shots as well.

Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended for persons who are known to have been exposed to rabies, officials say. For people who have never received rabies vaccines before, PEP normally consists of a shot called a rabies immune globulin (RIG) and four doses of rabies vaccine. The first vaccine should be given right away along with the RIG; the other three doses of vaccine are spread out over a 14-day period.

"The shots hurt worse than the bite ever did," Sealander said.

The 22 year old recently graduated from Grove City College in Grove City, Pa. and majored in sociology and minored in business and family studies. She graduated from Madison County High School in 2007.

"We know now to take pepper spray when we go hiking," Sealander said.

Rabies in humans can be prevented, yet more than 55,000 people, mostly in Asia and Africa, die each year from it, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the United States, most of the recent human rabies cases were infected by bats.

The discovery of a raccoon out in the middle of the day is a sign the animal has rabies. Here are a few other red flags for a potentially rabid animal, according to published reports:

*The animal is acting strangely, may seem anxious and uncomfortable.

*The animal has problems walking or struggles to move around.

*The animal shows no signs of fear when confronted by another animal or human being.

It is important to safely capture the animal if you have been bitten by a potentially rabid animal. This way it can be tested for rabies and you can know for sure whether or not you need the vaccine.

Kalie Sealander's father, Yates Sealander, a Madison-based physician, said, "I would like to say that the help provided by the Madison County Health Department was very professional, courteous and well informed. I can't thank them enough. Jo Bond has especially been outstanding with the needed follow up regarding confirmation of the rabid animal and subsequent vaccinations."

The Virginia Department of Health on its Web site recommends if you have been bitten to do the following:

*Don't panic...but don't ignore the bite, either. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and lots of water. Washing thoroughly will greatly lessen the chance of infection. Give first aid as you would for any wound.

*If possible, capture the animal under a large box or can, or at least identify it before it runs away. Don't try to pick the animal up. Call an animal control or law enforcement officer to come get it.

*It's critically important that you notify your family doctor immediately and explain how you got the bite. Your doctor will want to know if the animal has been captured. If necessary, your doctor will give the anti-rabies treatment recommended by the United States Public Health Service. Your doctor will also treat you for other possible infections that could be caused from the bite.

*Report the bite to the local health department.

For additional information about rabies, contact your local health department or visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/DEE/rabies.