In 1995, there were 33 confirmed cases. Williams said that, in each of those years, there were probably two or three times as many unconfirmed cases. What makes rabies so scary is that, when symptoms appear, the disease is 100 percent fatal to humans, said Dan Martinelli, of the Treasure Coast Wildlife Hospital, who also attended Thursday's meeting. That's why this education effort has to be a multifaceted effort utilizing the county's Web site, our schools, the newspapers and other media, condominium newsletters and even local veterinarians. For her part, Ryan said her motivation for calling the meeting wasn't fear of a major outbreak, but the belief that being proactive in regard to rabies is better than being reactive.
Rabies is endemic in our wild animals.
Instead, they should have a healthy appreciation for the fact there's a good potential a wild animal is carrying rabies. Don't fear or destroy them, but simply let nature be. Don't try to pet or hold wild animals and certainly don't feed them. But he also believes there's much people can do to stem the rabies tide. Close supervision of your pets is one of the best ways to ensure rabies won't be introduced to your home.