(Spencer)– Iowa health officials say two Clay county residents who were bitten by a puppy and 12 others who had contact with the animal may have been exposed to rabies.
None of the 14 family members have tested positive for rabies, but they have all undergone treatment.
Clay County Environmental Health Director Tammy McKeever says the information being released on the case is very limited due to the recently approved HIPPA guidelines. She says the unidentified Clay county family bought the puppy October 4th at a horse show in Minnesota. At that time the puppy had a cut on its leg from a skunk that got into the barn with the animals. The dog became ill on the 24th and had to be euthanized October 31st. Test results returned Monday showed the puppy had rabies.
The puppy was one of six in the litter. The owners of three of the other dogs have been located in Minnesota and North Carolina. The locations of the remaining two are unknown at this time. Health officials are working with those families to determine if their puppies have rabies.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KDWD Hot 100 in Spencer).
