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2. Get a description of the animal that bit your child. Learn to identify the
animals common in our area, such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats,
and opossum.

3. After the wound has been washed thoroughly, call our office. The bite
should also be reported to the local animal control officer and board of

health.

4. If your child was bitten by an animal that is still in the area, call the
animal control officer for assistance. If the animal is someone's pet,
you should try to find out if the animal was vaccinated and who owns it.

The risk of rabies is expected to rise in Massachusetts. Rabies is a disease of
the nervous system caused by a virus usually transmitted by a bite, scratch or
contact with an infected animal's saliva. When an animal or person is infected
by the virus, the disease spreads through the nervous system to the brain. It will
paralyze and kill the infected person or animal if not promptly treated.

Animals in the wild that most commonly carry the disease are raccoons, skunks,
foxes and bats. These animals can transmit it to pets, including cats and dogs,
and to humans. Most of the cases of human rabies in this country since 1980
have been caused by the bat strain of the virus. Many did not know that they
had been bitten. Bat's teeth and claws are so small that they may leave no
mark. The Mass Department of Health recommends that if a bat is found in a
room in which you have been sleeping or your young child has been unattended
the bat be tested for rabies or the rabies vaccine be given. In recent years

several rabid raccoons were found in our local area.

There are several things that you can do to help control rabies and protect your
family.
• Have your dogs and cats vaccinated.
• Don't feed your pets outdoors. Never feed wild animals, especially near

your home.
• Keep your distance from wild animals and teach your children to do the

same, even if the animal appears tame. Rabid animals are often docile.

Don't touch dead animals.

D. BRONCHIOLITIS

Bronchiolitis is a viral infection of the small breathing tubes of the lungs. It
occurs most often in infants and toddlers. It is different from bronchitis, which is
an infection of the large breathing tubes and usually affects older children.
Bronchiolitis is usually caused by a virus called RSV (respiratory syncytial virus),
and produces swelling and inflammation of the small airways. When older
children and adults get RSV, they usually just develop a cold. Infants and young
children also start with cold symptoms, such as runny nose, mild cough and
sometimes fever. After a few days, however, the cough worsens, chest
congestion develops, and the infant may begin to wheeze and have difficulty
breathing. Signs of breathing difficulty include:
• rapid breathing

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