It’s winter and people are outdoors less, but the threat of rabies from wild animals is still very real.The Iredell County Health Department last week confirmed the county’s 13th case of rabies for 2010. Tests showed that a calf on a farm on Westward Road in Statesville had contracted the disease.Officials also received notification of another calf exhibiting symptoms of rabies on another farm located on Old Mountain Road; however, test results have not been received on that calf.According to the Centers for Disease Control, the first symptoms of rabies may include tiredness, fever, vomiting, and poor appetite. Signs of rabies begin to progress within days to include: loss of coordination, weakness, paralysis, seizures, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, and other disorders of the nervous system.Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these symptoms.Iredell’s 13 confirmed cases of rabies so far are an improvement over 2009, when the county experienced 17 cases. in 2008, Iredell confirmed 10 cases.in the United States, distinct strains of rabies virus have been identified in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes. several species of bats are also reservoirs for strains of the rabies virus.Transmission of rabies virus usually begins when infected saliva of a host is passed to an uninfected animal, usually by a bite.People usually get rabies from the bite of a rabid animal. It is also possible, but quite rare, that people get rabies if infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound.Residents can protect themselves and pets by having pets vaccinated. Your can get your pets vaccinated at your local veterinarian or the Iredell County Animal Shelter, located at 243 Twin Oaks Road in Statesville.The Iredell County Animal Shelter offers rabies vaccination from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the rabies clinic.If you notice strange behavior in an animal, do not approach it. Contact Iredell County Animal Services and Control immediately at (704) 878-5424 or after hours and holidays at (704) 878-3039. for more information, call the Iredell County Communicable Disease Charge Nurse at (704) 878-5334.