Rabid Raccoon Near Germonds Park

CLARKSTOWN, NY — A raccoon captured in the Germonds Park area recently tested positive for rabies, Clarkstown police said. Police urge residents to stay away from wildlife.

According to state officials, wild animals infected with rabies may act tame, sick, or unusually aggressive. These animals may also exhibit symptoms such as staggering, convulsions, choking, and frothing at the mouth, or make unusual sounds. DEC advises the public not to approach animals that appear tame, aggressive, or sick, and to report these animals immediately to DEC Region 5 Dispatch at 518-891-0235.

Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), which almost always leads to death unless treatment is provided soon after exposure.

Rabies affects mammals, including domestic pets, livestock, and humans, but is primarily found in wild animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes. Among domestic animals, cats are most frequently diagnosed with rabies in New York State.

The New York State Department of Health recommends:

• Don't feed, touch or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats.
• Be sure your pet dogs, cats and ferrets as well as horses and valuable livestock animals are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. Vaccination protects pets if they are exposed to rabid animals. Pets too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors and allowed outside only under direct observation.
• Keep family pets indoors at night. Don't leave them outside unattended or let them roam free.
• Don't attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored bird seed or other foods that may attract wild animals. Feed pets indoors. Tightly cap or put away garbage cans. Board up any openings to your attic, basement, porch or garage. Cap your chimney with screens.
• If nuisance wild animals are living in parts of your home, consult with a nuisance wildlife control expert about having them removed. You can find wildlife control experts, who work on a fee-for-service basis, in your telephone directory under pest control.
• Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten by any animal.
• If a wild animal is on your property, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside. You may contact a nuisance wildlife control expert who will remove the animal for a fee.
• Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to your county health department. If possible, do not let any animal escape that has possibly exposed someone to rabies.