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The press release below may be outdated and no longer applicatory, but is
listed here for your reference to help you better serve our community
along side Lewis County Public Health. Should you have any questions or
concerns about any of these releases, please contact us immediately.
NEWS RELEASE
January 11, 2009
For more information contact
Carol
Paluck, Interim Director and Supervising Public Health Nurse at 376-5453.
On January 7, 2009, a town of Martinsburg resident
discovered an injured raccoon near their home. Their currently vaccinated
dog had direct contact with the raccoon. The resident was able to kill the
raccoon and submit it safely to Countryside Vet clinic for testing. The
raccoon tested positive for rabies. Since the dog was up to date with its
rabies vaccination, the dog only needed a rabies vaccination booster. The
resident did not require any treatment.
Lewis County Public Health wants residents to be aware that rabies is
still in our county, and all dogs, cats and ferrets 3 months of age and
older MUST be vaccinated, even if they remain indoors.
An animal is considered unvaccinated if its shot is just 1 day overdue.
This ruling by the New York State Department of Health is implemented by
Lewis County Public Health to protect Lewis County residents from rabies.
There is no cure for rabies. Once the disease develops, death will occur.
Current rabies vaccination for pets is the first shot at 3 months of age,
the second within no more than 1 year after the first and then a shot
every 3 years thereafter.
Additional laws are in place to protect the public from rabies. If an
unvaccinated animal comes in contact with a rabid wild animal, the pet
owner will have a difficult decision to make. The pet will need to be
quarantined in a very specific pen for six months or the pet will need to
be euthanized. In addition, if an unvaccinated animal bites or scratches a
person, the animal must be confined at an approved kennel for 10 days AT
THE OWNER’S EXPENSE. All animal bites of humans must be reported to Public
Health. This is also New York State law.
People are most likely to come in contact with rabies through their pets,
and pet vaccination is the most important aspect of rabies prevention.
Residents are encouraged to bring their pets to to the next rabies clinic
which will be held Saturday, January 24th from 2pm to 4pm at Countryside
Vet Clinic, Lowville. A $10 donation is suggested to help reduce the cost
of the clinic. Please have all dogs on a leash and cats and ferrets in a
carrier or strong pillowcase.
Call Lewis County Public Health at 376-5453 for information about rabies
or for advice in handling an exposure or visit our web site at:
www.lewiscountypublichealth.com.
