'I didn't even consider that it would be rabies,' NJ woman says after exposure

BRIDGEWATER - When Bridgewater resident Patricia Guest stumbled upon an unresponsive raccoon in her backyard on July 5, she didn't hesitate to jump into action.

"I own a pet-sitting business, and I work in rescue – I’ve been around animals my whole life," Guest said. "It’s my nature to help animals in need."

After putting on gloves, the Bradley Gardens section resident and self-proclaimed animal lover said that she gently pushed the animal into a box before transporting it to her car to take to AnimERge, a 24-hour veterinary hospital in Raritan.

"I really just wanted it to be put out of its misery," said Guest. "I thought of it in the back of my mind, but I didn't even consider that it would be rabies."

After dropping the animal off, AnimERge staff members told her that the animal had the potential to be rabid and that they would be sending it to a lab for testing. In the meantime, they gave her a document about what her next step should be. In her confusion, Guest did not thoroughly read it.

"I have to admit, I didn't read it right away," Guest said. "This led to confusion and stress while I waited for the results."

Guest believed that she had to wait for the test results to come back before she got herself and her dogs treated, and began waiting to hear back. 

"I found that while there is a protocol, how it is communicated can vary with regard to the level of urgency, the virus incubation period, quarantine of animals, the amount of time it takes to get results on the tested animal which can also lead to confusion and stress," Guest said. 

In retrospect, she said, what she should have done is not waited and gone for treatment for her and her dogs the next day, July 6.

READ:Middlesex Borough man bitten by rabid raccoon

READ:Pedestrian hit by car at Bridgewater Commons mall dies

READ:Bridgewater teacher wins presidential award for science education

On July 10, Guest was informed by the New Jersey Department of Health that the raccoon that she touched had tested positive for rabies, and that she and her dogs needed to be treated as soon as possible. Guest received the Post-Exposure Prophylactic Regimen (PEP), which includes one initial shot, and a immune-globulin injections based on the patient's weight. The patient then receives three additional shots in the days following. Her four dogs were in the middle of their three-year vaccination, and were taken in for their rabies booster shots the day after the initial contact. Additionally, they will need to be observed for the next 45 days. 

Guest found that the PEP shots are "not your mom's rabies vaccines."

"Most people think that the vaccines are getting shots in your stomach, but they're not," said Guest. "They're like tetanus shots, you're a little sore afterwards but that's it, and I hate needles."

According to the NJ Department of Health, there have been a total of 42 cases of rabies in the state from January to March of this year. Last year, there were 208. Very shaken and exhausted by her ordeal, Guest is looking to educate other people to prevent them from making the same mistakes that she did.

“Everyone wants to save Bambi,” said Guest, who operates Wagging Tail Walkabouts Pet Sitting. “I feel that it’s important for people to know the procedure for what to do and what not to do.”

If you find a suspicious or dead animal, Guest urges them to contact Animal Control or the Police Department, and to not make the same mistake that she did.

"They have the expertise to deal with a potentially dangerous or even fatal matter," said Guest. "Do not take it upon yourself to interact with a potentially hazardous animal."

Guest also urges those who had any contact with the animal, bitten or not, to immediately wash the wounds and to start the PEP regimen as soon as possible, and to not wait for the lab results. Depending on how urgent the case is, lab results may not be available for up to two weeks, and by then, it may be too late. According to the CDC, once symptoms in humans begin to develop, chances of survival are rare.

Guest however, advises those receiving the PEP regimen to check with their insurance before receiving the vaccine. This mandatory vaccine can cost $3,000-plus per injection, according to the Center for Disease Control. 

Peter Leung, a Health Officer from the Bridgewater Department of Health, said that by law, he cannot discuss veterinary rabies protocol. However, Leung stressed the importance of washing the wounds with soap and water after contact with an infected animal.

"If you wash yourself or your dog or cat right away, it inactivates the virus right away. When you wash the wound with soap and water, the risk is drastically reduced," said Leung, who also stressed that washing afflicted areas should not be done in place of a doctor's visit. 

More information about rabies can be found on the NJ Department of Health website.