Local public health departments are reminding residents about best practices to keep themselves safe from rabies. Franklin County has seen one case so far this year and Essex County has seen four, including one last week.

Franklin County notified the public on July 23 of a bat that had tested positive for rabies in the town of Bellmont.

In Essex County, out of 41 specimens tested for rabies, four have been positive. This included a racoon in Westport, a woodchuck in Ticonderoga and a skunk in Willsboro. The most recent case was a second skunk in Elizabethtown which tested positive on Wednesday.

Andrea Whitmarsh, program coordinator at the Essex County Health Department, said this number is not surprising or unusual for an average year. There were six positive cases last year and 13 in 2023.

The health departments rely on the public to report animal bites and encounters. Only dead animals can be tested for rabies. Whitmarsh said rabies can appear anywhere, in any mammal. However, some of the most common species include wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.

Whenever an animal tests positive for rabies, the health department always assesses the risk of exposure to humans, pets or livestock. Rabies is a virus that only spreads through saliva or brain matter, and is not airborne. With most animal encounters, it is pretty easy to know whether someone has been bitten.

However, Whitmarsh said cases with bats are treated a bit differently because they have tiny teeth and it can be harder to know if someone has been bitten. If you wake up with a bat in your room or your children’s room, or if your children might not be reliable reporters, it’s always best to take precautions.

“If you have any doubt, if you can catch the bat we definitely want to test it,” she said. “If we can rule out rabies in the bat, then we know for a fact nobody was exposed.”

With rabies, the biggest factor is to reduce interactions with wildlife. This can mean tightly sealing garbage cans, not storing bird seed or other food that might attract animals and feeding pets indoors. It also helps to board up any openings to attics or other spaces and cap chimneys with screens.

For questions or to report a possible rabies exposure, contact Franklin County Public Health at 518-481-1710. The Essex County Health Department can be contacted at 518-873-3500. All animal bites should be reported to your local health department.

Another important precaution is to vaccinate pets and livestock against rabies. Both Essex and Franklin counties have free vaccine clinics throughout the year. The next opportunity in Essex County is on Tuesday, Aug. 19 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the North Elba Show Grounds in Lake Placid.

For more information about rabies or Essex County vaccine clinics, visit tinyurl.com/43x29fae. For information about free rabies vaccination clinics in Franklin County, visit the health department’s Facebook page at tinyurl.com/mtbfzbjv.