A raccoon that “encountered” a dog at a Cambria home on July 18 was confirmed rabid, the Niagara County Department of Health announced Thursday.
The encounter took place in the yard of an Upper Mountain Road home. County health officials said the dog had recently received a rabies vaccination booster and does not require quarantine. There was no human exposure.
The county submitted the raccoon for testing to the state’s Wadsworth Center, Griffin Laboratory where it was confirmed to have rabies.
Animal rabies continues to be a serious public health concern in Niagara County. Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal to unvaccinated animals.
Bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are all common wildlife carriers of the rabies virus. It is possible for a rabid animal to shed the virus through direct contact even before symptoms appear. A rabid animal can only be confirmed by submitting a laboratory sample.
County officials urge owners to make sure their dogs and cats are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Dogs and cats that receive their first rabies vaccine are protected for one year. A dog or cat’s second and subsequent vaccinations will protect it from rabies for up to three years. Pets too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors. By law, all cats, dogs, and ferrets must have current rabies vaccinations from four months of age and on. The Niagara County Department of Health conducts free rabies clinics. Clinics are coming up at the Town of Lockport Highway Department on Sept. 13 and at the North Tonawanda Public Works Department on Dec. 6. Registration opens on the first business day of the week of the clinic date.
For further information on rabies or to report an animal bite or contact with wild animals, please call the Niagara County Department of Health Environmental Division at (716) 439-7444 or visit www.niagaracounty.gov/health.