June 10, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rabid fox in North Hudson injures resident
Elizabethtown, NY. The Essex County Health Department (ECHD) was notified Monday evening about an individual who was attacked and bitten by a wild animal in the town of North Hudson. A Department of Conservation (DEC) officer was called to investigate the area and was able to locate a gray fox acting suspiciously. The animal was promptly dispatched with no further incident and submitted to the NYSDOH Wadsworth Laboratory, ultimately testing positive for the rabies virus.
“All rabies post-exposure protocols were followed and we don’t expect any further risk to the public at this time,” stated Jessica Darney Buehler, Director of Health Planning & Promotion for ECHD. “We typically see a handful of rabies cases in wild animals each year, especially in the southeastern portion of the county. We have been in contact with NYSDOH representatives to request that the USDA expand their oral rabies vaccination program into the mid to lower section of the Champlain Valley corridor when bait drops occur this summer,” Buehler noted.
To ensure public health and safety, ECHD recommends the following prevention actions:
• Be sure all animals, pets and livestock, are up to date on rabies vaccinations;
• Don’t feed, touch or adopt wild or stray animals;
• Feed pets indoors and don’t leave pets outside unattended;
• Tightly cap garbage cans and avoid attracting wild animals to your yard with birdseed or other food.
If your pet has contact with saliva or brain tissue of a suspected rabid animal, contact your veterinarian for medical care and contact ECHD 518-873-3500 to determine what additional follow-up may be needed.
Those who have been exposed to saliva or brain tissue of a suspected rabid animal should:
• Wash all wounds thoroughly with soap and water;
• Seek medical attention immediately;
• Report animal bites or possible rabies exposures to ECHD 518-873-3500.
ECHD may submit wild animals and bats for rabies testing if they have had contact with humans or pets, or if they have displayed unusual behavior.
Visit co.essex.ny.us/Health for more information about rabies and to register for free rabies vaccination clinics offered by ECHD.
Original source can be found here.
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