Rabies & Animal Bites

The Environmental Health Division manages a rabies prevention program, the goal of which is to prevent the occurrence of rabies in humans and animals throughout Cayuga County.

 Program Staff:

  • Respond to reported animal bites and potential exposures
  • Consult with medical personnel for the follow up on post-exposure medical treatment
  • Submit suspected animal specimens for rabies analyses
  • Monitors 10-day confinement or 6-month quarantine of animals involved in a potential rabies exposure

 The Division also sponsors free immunization clinics 3 times a year for dogs, cats, and ferrets owned by Cayuga County residents.

Possible Exposure

Possible exposure of people, pets, or domestic livestock must be reported to the Cayuga County Health Department at 315-253-1405 or after hours to the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Department at 315-253-1222. Possible exposure includes awakening to a bat in your room. If a bat is found in a house and there is any chance that contact between the bat and a person or a pet occurred, the bat needs to be captured and submitted for rabies testing. Further information can be found on the bats & rabies page.

Rabies Risks

Rabies is a fatal disease that cannot be cured once a person begins to have symptoms. Rabies has been present in Cayuga County since 1992 in terrestrial animals such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and other mammals. In addition to terrestrial rabies, bat rabies has also been shown to be present in Cayuga County. Birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects cannot transmit the disease.

Contracting Rabies

Rabies can only be acquired through contact with an infected animal. Contact is defined as a bite, scratch, saliva contact to your eyes, nose, mouth, or open wound; or any physical contact with a bat.