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Soldiers and Veterans Urged to be Checked for Rabies

According to an article in The Navy Times, soldiers who have been bitten by an animal in either Iraq or Afghanistan, or have even come into contact with "a mammal's saliva" should be checked for rabies. Although veterans disability compensation claims for rabies aren't common, that doesn't mean they don't exist.

The rabies virus has an incubation period that can last anywhere from a week to months. It's possible the virus can stay dormant for over a year. This is why the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense are "redoubling their efforts" to ensure personnel potentially exposed to bats, as well as dogs and cats are alerted of the potential threat.

The first alerts were issued after a soldier died at the end of August in Fort Drum, N.Y. after he contracted rabies while stationed in Afghanistan and was never given the regimen of treatments necessary to treat the rabies virus. Between 2001 and 2010, 643 soldiers were bitten by various animals. From those, 177 soldiers were given vaccinations for the rabies virus.

A large problem is that many animal bites aren't reported because they're usually looked at as minor wounds. Any soldier or veteran exposed to such animals in the last 18 months should be checked for rabies, as not every animal infected with rabies is going to display symptoms of foaming at the mouth and overly-aggressive behavior.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.