Westchester County Health Department Offers Tips To Help Residents Protect Themselves From Rabies

Mount Vernon NY

04 June, 2022

3:01 PM

Description

Press release from the Westchester County Government: June 3, 2022 With warmer weather here, many of us spend more time outdoors, so the Westchester County Health Department wants residents to know how to protect themselves, their families and their pets from potential rabies exposure. June is Rabies Awareness Month. Rabies is a fatal virus spread from the saliva of an infected animal through a bite or scratch. It can be prevented with a series of vaccines, but is not treatable. Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, said: "Keep your distance from wild and stray animals, and teach your children to avoid them, too. If you, your child or your pet are bitten or scratched by someone else's pet, get the name and address of the owner so that the biting pet's rabies vaccine records can be verified. That way, the bite victim may be able to avoid a series of rabies shots." Should a bat get into your home, capture and contain it and call the Health Department immediately so that the bat can be tested for rabies. To learn how to safely capture a bat in your home: https://health.westchestergov.com/rabies/rabies-in-bats. What can you do to keep animals away from and out of your home? How can you tell if an animal is rabid? What should you do if bitten or scratched by a wild or stray animal? What should you do if your pet fights with another animal? This press release was produced by the Westchester County Government. The views expressed here are the author's own.