BOMBAY — The Franklin County Public Health Department on Wednesday confirmed that a fox recently tested positive for rabies within the county.
The rabies positive fox was in the town of Bombay, according to a press release from Franklin County Public Health.
Earlier this summer a rabies positive bat was found in the town of Bellmont.
Franklin County’s second confirmed case of rabies in an animal this summer serves as an important reminder for residents to take precautions to protect themselves, their families, and their pets, according to the county’s health department.
“We want to remind the public that rabies is present in our county and poses a real risk,” county public health Director Hannah Busman said in the release, “The best protection is to avoid contact with wild animals and ensure your pets’ vaccinations are current.”
Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the nervous system of mammals, including humans. It is spread primarily through the bite or saliva of an infected animal, according to the health department, and once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal, but it is preventable with proper precautions and timely treatment.
Residents are advised to avoid contact with wild animals, especially those acting unusually tame or aggressive, to vaccinate pets and livestock against rabies and keep vaccinations up to date, report stray or aggressive animals to local authorities, and if bitten or scratched by an animal to wash the wound immediately with soap and water, and seek medical attention.
Franklin County Public Health will hold its last free rabies vaccination clinic of the year in Malone on Monday, Oct. 6.
Clinic registration will be promoted later in September on the county’s website at franklincountyny.gov.
More information on the clinic is available by calling 518-481-1710 or by email at fchealth@franklincountyny.gov.