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Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
The vast majority of cases reported to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, coyotes and foxes.
Domestic animals account for less than 10% of the reported rabies cases, with cats, cattle and dogs most often reported rabid. Rabies is almost always fatal if left untreated.
Ms. Dougherty said summertime is when the number of cases increases.
"With the arrival of warm weather, there's a chance that you or your pet may come in contact with wildlife such as bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes that could have rabies," she says.
Ms. Dougherty urges people with pets to keep their rabies vaccine current. In fact, she says, state law requires all domestic dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated.
If an unvaccinated pet or one that is overdue on its vaccination comes in contact with a rabid or suspected rabid animal, the pet must either be destroyed or strictly confined for six months.
She noted that rabbits, squirrels, rats and birds do not carry the disease.
They can, however, contract it if they become involved with an animal that does.
Animal Control Officer Paul Martel covers Schodack, Castleton, Nassau and the city of Rensselaer, and while it's not really part of his job to deal with rabid animals, he does it anyway.
Last year he says he had to put down 10 animals in Rensselaer, including skunks, raccoons and foxes. Another 10 were put down in the Village of Castleton.
"Rabies is all over," he says. "So far this year, however, it hasn't been too bad. It tends to go in spurts."
Mr. Martel says animals with rabies act like they are drunk and become more aggressive than normal. "If they attack and end up biting someone, they don't let go easily," he adds.
Mr. Martel said people should call 911 if they come into contact with a rabid animal because only a few animal control officers deal with it.
"I like to do it to help educate people and tell them what to do," he says. "For instance, if an animal is shot in their yard, they need to pour bleach over the spot. People have to remember that bears can have rabies, too, and when they get aggressive, that's not a good thing."
The following are some ways the public can reduce exposure to rabies:
*Avoid all contact with wild and stray animals. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter. Never adopt wild animals or bring them home and do not try to nurse sick animals.
*If bitten or scratched or have contact with an animal believed to be rabid, immediately wash the wound with soap and water, seek medical attention and report the incident to the Rensselaer County Health Department, 270-2643.
*Encourage children not to touch any animal they do not know, and to immediately tell an adult if they have been bitten.
*Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats and ferrets. Keep pets under direct supervision and call animal control to remove any stray animals from a neighborhood.
*Spay or neuter pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or regularly vaccinated.
Ms. Dougherty says that bat rabies continues to be of particular concern.
"If you find a bat in your home or camp or cabin, do not release or discard it until speaking with a representative from the health department," she says. "Report any possible contact with bats and such situations as bats in rooms or camp cabins with sleeping persons, unattended children or individuals with mental impairment."
Rabies infects the central nervous system, causing what is called encephalopathy, and ultimately, death. Early symptoms of rabies in humans consist of fever, headache and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, hallucinations, agitation, difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia, a fear of water.
Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.
Over the last 100 years, rabies in the United States has changed dramatically, according to the National Center for Infectious Diseases. More than 90% of all animal cases reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control now occur in wildlife.
Rabies clinics for household pets are held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 13 at the Grafton Firehouse, July 20 at the 115th Street Firehouse in Troy and September 14 at the Brunswick Community Center.
