Wayne County health officials are urging residents to avoid contact with wild animals after two raccoons in the Lyons-Sodus area tested positive for rabies within the past week.
According to Wayne County Public Health, the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Laboratory confirmed June 3 that a raccoon from the Lyons-Sodus area was positive for rabies. The confirmation follows the identification of a rabid domestic cat in the same area the previous week.
Health officials said rabies is a fatal viral disease that attacks the central nervous system of mammals and is most commonly found locally in raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats. Residents are advised to avoid contact with wild or feral animals and watch for signs that may indicate rabies, including difficulty walking, staggering, unusual aggression or friendliness, excessive drooling and significant behavioral changes.
Officials stressed that any potential rabies exposure should be reported immediately. Potential exposures include animal bites that break the skin, contact with saliva from a potentially rabid animal through open wounds, or situations where direct exposure cannot be ruled out, such as finding a bat in a room with a sleeping person, unattended child or impaired individual.
Residents are encouraged to keep pets current on rabies vaccinations, avoid unfamiliar animals and seek medical attention immediately after any bite or scratch. Wayne County Public Health also noted that state law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies beginning at four months of age. The county offers free rabies vaccination clinics throughout the year.
Anyone with questions about potential rabies exposures can contact Wayne County Public Health at 315-946-5749. Residents should call 911 if they believe they are experiencing a rabies emergency.
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