Steuben Public Health reminds residents to avoid unfamiliar animals

BATH -- With the unofficial start of the summer this weekend, Steuben County Public Health officials remind residents about rabies prevention Rabies is a preventable disease that humans and animals can get from a bite or contact with saliva of a rabid animal, and it is almost always deadly.

In the event of an animal bite or contact, residents should immediately seek medical care and report the problem to Steuben County Public Health at (800) 724-0471 weekdays or (800) 836-4444 evenings and weekends. 

· Basic rabies prevention. Don’t feed, touch, or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats. If a wild animal is nearby, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors, and alert neighbors. Don’t try to separate two fighting animals. Wear gloves when handling a pet after a fight. If there is any concern about rabies exposure from a wild animal, keep it for rabies testing. Immediately report a bat in your home to Public Health.

· Ensure pets are up to date on their rabies vaccines. Dogs, cats, and other domestic or farm animals (mammals) should be vaccinated starting at 12 weeks of age. The initial rabies vaccine is valid for one year. After that, rabies vaccines are valid for three years with proof of prior vaccination.
· Free local rabies clinics can be found at https://steubencony.org/Files/Documents/publichealth/rabiesclinic2019.pdf