What Is Rabies and How Do People Get It?

Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals. People get rabies from the bite of an animal with rabies (a rabid animal). Any wild mammal, like a raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote, or bat, can have rabies and transmit it to people. It is also possible, but quite rare, that people may get rabies if infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound.  Click here for the CDC’s website for additional rabies information.

Because rabies is a fatal disease, the goals of public health are to prevent human exposure to rabies by education and to prevent the disease by anti-rabies treatment if exposure occurs. Tens of thousands of people are successfully treated each year after being bitten by an animal that may have rabies. A few people die of rabies each year in the United States, usually because they do not recognize the risk of rabies from the bite of a wild animal and do not seek medical advice.

For additional information regarding Saratoga County Rabies Clinics, please contact the Saratoga County Animal Shelter directly at 518-885-4113

Contact info for other local public health departments:

Albany County              phone: 518-447-4625       fax: 518-447-4501

Fulton County               phone: 518-736-5720       fax: 518-762-1381

Rensselaer County      phone: 518-270-2643       fax: 518-270-2973

Schenectady County   phone: 518-386-2818       fax: 518-386-2822

Warren County             phone: 518-761-6415      fax: 518-761-6422

Washington County    phone: 518-746-2400    fax: 518-746-2461

For information regarding Saratoga County Rabies Clinics, please use the above link or contact the Saratoga County Animal Shelter directly at 518-885-4113