TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY –– The Tompkins County Health Department is seeking information on the person or persons who left a raccoon on the doorstep of Cornell University Hospital for Animals last week after the Rabies Laboratory of the New York State determined that the animal was rabid. Tuesday.
The rabid raccoon was dropped off in front of the animal hospital on July 23 at around 12 a.m. Health Department authorities are seeking to find out if those responsible were potentially exposed to the rabies virus.
According to health officials, rabies is normally transmitted by the bite of a wild or domestic rabid mammal, but it can also occur if the saliva of a rabid animal enters the body through a mucous membrane, a wound that bleeds into the 24 hours prior to exposure, or An older wound showing signs of bacterial infection.
YOUR LOCAL HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NEWS ARE MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF:
Anyone with information about this raccoon should call the Tompkins County Environmental Health Division at any time at (607) 274-6688.
As a reminder, TCHD recommends that you do not handle pets or objects that may be contaminated with saliva from a potentially rabid animal without wearing protective gloves and immediately wash your hands with soap and water if you touch the saliva and that a cut occurs when skinning a Rabid mammal. It could also cause transmission of rabies, since the nervous tissue of an infected animal will transmit the virus.
And for those who may encounter injured or abandoned wildlife, always contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before handling them. Rehabilitators can be found here and on the NYS DEC website here.
