BREWSTER, NY—Spring is a busy time for the rabies staff at the Putnam County Department of Health. With people and their pets spending more time outdoors, their chance of encountering the deadly rabies virus increases. Bats return to the area, and wild animals bear offspring—both factors that may influence the rise in exposures. An infected animal can transmit the virus in their saliva through a bite, mucous membrane or open wound. All potential exposures are investigated and assessed by the health department rabies staff, and a rabies prevention treatment is recommended when necessary.  

“Education about rabies prevention is a priority,” said public health director Rian Rodriguez, MPH, “We educate the public and we also reach out to veterinarians as well about the importance of capturing and testing bats if there is a possible exposure. We are also focused on assessing every single potential exposure so that we can prevent the possible spread of disease. If treatment is needed it should start promptly, so it is important to report all exposures right away, including after hours and on weekends.” 

Fortunately, rabies is not a common disease, but once symptoms start it is almost always fatal. Preventing a bite and protecting pets with rabies vaccination are two ways health department staff and residents can help prevent the spread of the virus. 

“To prevent the chance of a bite, we strongly advise people to stay away from all wild animals,” said Marianne Burdick, HHP, MPH, associate public health sanitarian, who supervises the rabies control program at the health department. “If you find a newborn animal alone, the parents are most likely nearby foraging for food. They have not abandoned their offspring, and the babies do not need to be rescued,” she emphasized.

Vaccinating pets is also a way to protect pets from rabies and reduce transmission. In March the health department hosted a free rabies vaccination clinic for dogs, cats and pet ferrets. “Over a hundred residents that took advantage of the opportunity,” said Ms. Burdick, “and 93 dogs, 58 cats and one ferret received the vaccine that protects from rabies.” 

Last year the rabies team at the health department investigated over 400 cases of potential exposures. “We have investigated 88 potential exposures this year as of April 8,” Ms. Burdick said. “Most exposures and treatments in Putnam are due to bats, dogs and stray or feral cats, but all mammals can become infected. That means that foxes, raccoons and skunks can all carry the disease and transmit it to a pet, or directly to a human, through their saliva.” 

Residents who are bitten or scratched by a wild animal, domestic pet or livestock should report it to the health department as soon as possible. The rabies control program is a 24/7, 365-day effort. The after-hours environmental health hotline can be reached at 845-808-1390, extension 3.  

Because bats are a major concern for rabies in New York State, the health department has posted a link to the state’s YouTube “Capture The Bat” video on their Rabies Webpage. It demonstrates how to safely catch a bat found in one’s home. If the animal can be tested and the results are negative for rabies, a person can potentially avoid treatment. Treatment after rabies exposure is called rabies postexposure prophylaxis, or RPEP for short. It consists of a dose of human rabies immune globulin, called HRIG, given as soon as possible after exposure, plus 4 shots of rabies vaccine given over two weeks. If there is a wound or known site of animal contact, the full dose of HRIG should go into the wound or site of contact, if possible. For people who are immuno-compromised, an additional dose is required. 

Approximately 60,000 people die of rabies around the world each year and most occur because of a dog bite. Fortunately, dogs with rabies are rare in the U.S. This is because pet vaccination rates in the U.S. are high. That potentially could change with results reported from a study at Brown University’s School of Public Health and published in the peer-reviewed journal Vaccine. The researchers found that more than half of dog owners expressed some hesitancy about vaccinating their pets against rabies. 

Like all vaccines, for humans or pets, there can be side effects. For most animals, these are mild such as a low fever, decreased appetite, lethargy and soreness or swelling at the injection site. And compared to the consequences of getting or spreading rabies, they are relatively minor. 

“The health department’s hosts three rabies vaccination clinics each year in March, July and November. The next rabies vaccination clinic for Putnam pets is Saturday, July 18, from 10 am to noon, at Hubbard Lodge in Cold Spring,” said Ms. Burdick. “We encourage all pet owners to take advantage of this free opportunity to get their dogs, cats and ferret pets protected. Remember, rabies vaccination is required by law in New York State and most others in the U.S. In New York it applies to all three types of pets before they turn four months old.”

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) through 2029, serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the County website at www.putnamcountyny.gov, or visit our social media sites on Facebook, X and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.

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Resources:

• Rabies: What to Know—New York State Department of Health
  https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/
  
  
• Rabia (En español)—New York State Department of Health
  https://www.health.ny.gov/es/diseases/communicable/rabies/fact_sheet.htm