The Onondaga County Commissioner of Health, Indu Gupta, MD, MPH, reports that the New York State Health Department’s laboratory has confirmed that a bat found in the Village of Liverpool tested positive for rabies. This is the second animal that has tested positive for rabies in 2017.

The Health Department reminds residents that rabid animals can be present any time of the year and advises taking the following steps to help prevent exposure to rabies:

• Never handle unfamiliar animals, either wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly.
• Wash any wound from an animal bite or scratch thoroughly with soap and water.  Seek medical attention immediately.
• Call the Animal Disease Control Program at (315) 435-3165 if you find a bat in your home. Capture the bat that you or your pet were exposed to so that it can be tested for rabies.  Learn how to capture a bat at /health/ADP.html.
• Bat-proof your house by plugging any holes in the house with steel wool.
• Keep your pet’s rabies vaccinations current. This is especially important for dogs, cats, and ferrets.

Our next rabies shot clinic is next Thursday, May 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Clay Highway Garage, 4483 Route 31 in Clay. Getting your pet vaccinated can help stop the spread of rabies from wild animals to humans. New York State Public Health Laws require that all puppies and kittens get their initial shot at three months of age, with a booster shot every three years. Ferrets must get a shot every year. See our full 2017 Rabies Clinic schedule at www.ongov.net/health/documents/RabiesClinicSchedule.pdf.

For more information about rabies prevention, visit /health/ADP.html.