Oswego County Health Department Announces First Positive Rabies Cases of 2025

OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department received notice of the first two rabies positive animals in 2025. One raccoon in Oswego Town and one raccoon in the town of Hannibal have tested positive for the virus.

The health department reminds residents about the dangers of the rabies virus and what to do when they encounter wildlife – indoors and out.

“This time of year, it’s common to observe wildlife with their young,” said Oswego County Director of Environmental Health Katelyn Parkhurst. “While these animals are cute, it is important to remember that wildlife of any kind should be viewed from a safe distance and left alone. Contact with wildlife can put you, your family and pets at risk of exposure to diseases such as rabies.”

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system. It is most often seen among wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, although any mammal can be infected with the disease – including people and pets.

People usually get exposed to the rabies virus from a bite or a scratch from an infected animal; however, exposure can also occur if saliva from a rabid animal enters an open cut or mucous membrane such as the eyes, nose or mouth.

To minimize the chance of exposure to rabies, people should be wary of any animals that act abnormally. Unusual actions include aggressive or tame behavior, showing no fear of humans, aimless wandering or appearing disoriented.

The health department offers these tips to further reduce the risk of exposure to the rabies virus:

• Do not pick up, touch or feed wildlife or stray dogs and cats. Wild or feral animals, including their babies, can be rabid. Teach children to do the same.
• If you find a bat in your home, safely capture it and call the health department as soon as possible to investigate any potential exposure before releasing or disposing of it.
• If a wild animal is on your property, get indoors and let it wander away.
• Keep pets and livestock animals up to date on their vaccinations.
• Don’t let pets roam free and bring them indoors at night.
• Feed pets indoors to avoid attracting wildlife and stray animals to your home.

“All dogs, cats and ferrets must be up to date on their rabies vaccine,” said Parkhurst. “Immunizing your pets is the most effective protection from the rabies virus, even if they are primarily indoors.”

The Oswego County Health Department offers several rabies clinics throughout the year. The next clinic will be held on Wednesday, April 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Oswego City Department of Public Works (DPW) Garage, located at 114 Mitchell St. in Oswego.

Beginning Wednesday, April 16, residents can call 315-349-3564 to make an appointment for the April 23 clinic. Throughout the year, appointments will be scheduled clinic-by-clinic and an announcement for the opening of the appointment phone line will be made before each clinic.

In 2024, Oswego County Health Department staff:

• vaccinated 1,451 cats, dogs and ferrets against rabies.
• confirmed eleven positive cases of rabies including two bats, one fox, one skunk and seven raccoons.
• provided 53 people in Oswego County with post-exposure rabies treatments.
• submitted 138 animals to the state health department to be tested for rabies.

“This past year, our health department responded to 1,022 calls involving possible rabies incidents,” said Oswego County Public Health Director Vera Dunsmoor. “We urge residents to call us immediately if they suspect potential rabies exposure. Our staff works diligently alongside veterinary care providers to determine the best approach during these investigations.”

All domestic and wild animal bites should be reported to the Oswego County Health Department’s Environmental Division as soon as possible.

To report an animal bite or seek guidance concerning potential exposures to rabies, call the Oswego County Health Department at 315-349-3557, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; or at 315-341-0086 after regular business hours, weekends and holidays.

Please do not call the after-hours number to make a rabies vaccination appointment. Use it only for incidents involving potential exposure.

For more information about rabies, go to www.cdc.gov/rabies or  https://health.oswegocounty.com/programs/environmental1/rabies_program2.php.

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