FROM LOOKING AT SCREENS. THERE IS NOW AN ALERT IN BOSTON AFTER FIVE RACCOONS TESTED POSITIVE FOR RABIES. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR HUMANS? RIGHT. SO HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. DEREK MONETTE, AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN AT MDH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NO REPORTS RIGHT NOW OF COURSE, OF PEOPLE BEING EXPOSED TO RABIES AT THIS POINT. HOW COMMON ARE HUMAN CASES OF RABIES? THANKFULLY, HUMAN CASES ARE RARE, BUT THEY’RE STILL SIGNIFICANT JUST BECAUSE THE MORTALITY IS SO HIGH, IT’S ALMOST IN 100% OF CASES GOING TO BE DEADLY. ON THE FLIP SIDE, THERE’S ONLY ABOUT 1 TO 2 CASES PER YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES. SO WE’RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT. BUT IT’S THE TYPE OF THING THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF, WHICH IS WHY I’M GLAD YOU’RE HIGHLIGHTING IT TODAY. YEAH, IT’S FRIGHTENING, YOU KNOW, TO HEAR THAT THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE CASES OF RACCOONS WITH RABIES IN THE CITY. SO IF YOU THINK YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED, WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO? SURE. SO THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO IS WASH THE WOUND WITH SOAP AND WATER FOR A GOOD TEN MINUTES. CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OR GO TO BOSTON.GOV DOT COM, WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT TO DO. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS FOR CITIZENS TO BE MINDFUL OF HOW YOU GET RABIES. IT’S USUALLY FROM A WILD ANIMAL. RACCOONS CAN BE COMMON ALONG WITH BATS AND THE OTHER ONES BEING FOX AND THE OTHER ONES BEING SKUNKS. SO I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONES TO BE MINDFUL OF. IF YOU YOURSELF ARE BITTEN OR YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR PET. YEAH. AND THE GOAL, OF COURSE, IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED, IS TO NOT GET THE ACTUAL RABIES VIRUS. THAT CAN MEAN A VACCINE, CORRECT. AND SO IF YOU’RE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO, IT’S NEVER WRONG TO COME TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. I THINK WE PROBABLY HAVE THE VACCINE ON STOCK MORE THAN THE TYPICAL URGENT CARE. SO IF YOU’RE CONCERNED, YOU’RE NOT SURE. IT’S NEVER WRONG TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS. IT’S TYPICALLY A VACCINE SERIES. AND CHECKING IN WITH US. IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, SOMETIMES WE’RE ABLE TO WORK OUT THE SITUATION WITH YOU AND TALK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS, BUT IT’S A VACCINE THAT CAN HELP PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS ITSELF. ALL RIGHT. DO YOUR BEST TO AVOID WILD ANIMALS THAT ARE ACTING UNUSUAL, THAT KIND OF THING. DR. MANETTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AL