HEALTH OFFICIALS ISSUE RABIES
ADVISORY

Contact:
Sonny Rodgers
Florida Department of Health in Clay County
sonny.rodgers@flhealth.gov
904-529-2812

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Florida Department of Health in Clay County issued a rabies
advisory for the Doctors Lake area in Orange Park. This is in response to a feral cat that tested
positive to rabies on September 4, 2018.

All residents and visitors in Clay County should be aware that rabies is present in the wild
animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated. The public is asked to
maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in Clay County. Advisories are designed
to increase awareness to the public, but they should not give a false sense of security to areas
that have not been named as under an advisory.

The recent rabies advisory is for 60 days. The center of the rabies advisory is at Doctors Lake
area of Orange Park, and includes the following boundaries in Clay County:

• North of Doctors Lake
• West of the St. Johns River
• East of Blanding Blvd.

An animal with rabies could infect other wild or domestic animals that have not been vaccinated
against rabies. All domestic animals should be vaccinated against rabies and all wildlife contact
should be avoided, particularly raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and
coyotes. Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm blooded animals and
humans. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies specific immune globulin
and rabies immunization. Appropriate treatment started soon after the exposure, will protect an
exposed person from the disease.
Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:
• Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets.
• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild
animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal
immediately and contact Clay County Services at 904-269-6342.
• Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your
neighborhood.
• Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or
litter.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home.
• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear
friendly.
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches,
schools, and other similar areas, where they might come in contact with people and
pets.
• Persons who have been bitten or scratched by wild or domestic animals should seek
medical attention and report the injury to the Florida Department of Health in Clay
County at 904-529-2800, option 5, then option 1.
For further information on rabies, go to https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-andconditions/rabies/index.html or call the Florida Department of Health in Clay County at
904-529-2800, or Clay County Animal Control at 904-269-6342.

About the Florida Department of Health
The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to
protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county
and community efforts.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the
Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.