Lewis County Public Health says raccoon tested positive for rabies in Lowville

LOWVILLE, NY- Lewis County Public Health has been notified by the New York State Department of Health that a raccoon in the Town of Lowville has tested positive for rabies.

This is the fourth raccoon to test positive in Lewis County this year, according to local officials. The other three located in the Towns of Lewis and New Bremen.

"There was no reported human or domestic animal contact with any of these rabid animals," Public Health officials said. "Lewis County Public Health reminds all Lewis County residents and those that visit our county that rabies is a very serious and deadly disease affecting the central nervous system."

Rabies can be transmitted from infected animals to humans if they are exposed to the saliva or nervous tissue of a rabid animal through a bite or scratch. It is also possible for a person to have contact with a bat and not know it while asleep, therefore all bats that are found in the room of a sleeping person or small child, should be captured and tested for rabies.

***View a video on how to safely capture a bat here.

"It is very important for people and their pets to avoid direct contact with wild animals, particularly if the animals are behaving abnormally, and ensure your pets are up to date
with rabies vaccinations," LCPH office said. 

NYS DEC Raccoon image.