Several dogs are receiving rabies booster shots after a pair of encounters with rabid raccoons in Cambria and Hartland last week.
The first incident occurred Jan. 8 on Shawnee Road in Cambria, according to the Niagara County Department of Health. Two dogs encountered the raccoon. They were both up to date on their rabies vaccinations and were set to receive booster shots as a precaution.
County health officials said there was concern a person might have been exposed to the virus, but an evaluation determined there was no need for post-exposure treatment at this time.
The second incident occurred on Jan. 10 on Wheeler Road in Hartland with three dogs involved in the encounter. As with the first case, all three dogs were up to date on their rabies vaccinations and were to receive boosters. Three people were evaluated for possible secondary contact, but health officials determined that post-exposure treatment wasn’t necessary.
Samples from the raccoons were submitted to the state Department of Health Wadsworth Center on Wednesday and positive results were confirmed on Thursday, county health officials said.
Animal rabies continues to be a serious public health concern in Niagara County. Bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes are all common wildlife carriers of the virus.
Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal to unvaccinated animals. A rabid animal can shed the virus through direct contact even before symptoms appear, and rabies can only be confirmed by submitting a laboratory sample.
For further information on rabies or to report an animal bite or contact with wild animals, call the Niagara County Department of Health Environmental Division at 716-439-7444 or visit www.niagaracounty.gov/health.