04-20-09 - 11:45 p.m. -
A daylight gray fox attack on a 22-month-old child in Kinderhook last week is underscoring the need for Columbia County residents to be cautious about rabies.
County Health Department officials said the attack occurred Wednesday in the town and resulted in the toddler receiving medical treatment and a series of rabies shots at an Albany hospital. Neither the seriousness of the child’s injuries nor the identity of the child is being made public. An official said the fox was chased off by the child’s grandfather, who was nearby during the attack and whose action prevented more serious injuries.
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Health Department spokeswoman Patricia Abitabile said the fox was later captured, killed, and sent for testing, which confirmed that the animal was rabid.
“It’s important that people are aware of what the threats are,” Abitabile said.
The county has been battling a rabies epidemic for more than a decade, with each year bringing several incidents of rabid animals and potential human exposure. Abitabile said she was unaware of any incidents this year and stated that the April 15 Kinderhook attack may be the first human exposure to rabies in the county this year.
Rabies is a viral disease that almost always leads to death unless treatment is administered soon after exposure. New York State often leads the nation in the number of rabid animals reported in a given year, state health officials reported. Treatment after exposure involves a series of shots administered over several months—first in a hospital emergency room and later at the health department.
In 2008, Abitabile said fifty people in Columbia County received post-exposure vaccinations and more than a dozen animals tested positive for rabies. The animals that tested positive for rabies included thirteen raccoons, a skunk, a gray fox, and two bats.
Several hundred precautionary vaccinations were administered last year to pets who came in contact with rabid animals—194 to dogs, 264 to cats, and 8 to ferrets.
Numerous vaccination clinics will be conducted this year, starting on May 2 at the Gallatin Town Highway Garage. Vaccinations will be administered that day from 10 to 11 a.m. for cats and ferrets and 11 a.m. to noon for dogs. There is no charge for county residents.
Additional rabies clinics sponsored by the County Health Department are scheduled for:
- June 6, Greenport Town Hall: 2 to 3 p.m. cats and ferrets; 3 to 4 p.m. dogs
- June 17, Ghent Town Highway Garage: 4 to 5 p.m. cats and ferrets; 5 to 6 p.m. dogs
- August 19, New Lebanon Highway Garage: 4 to 5 p.m. cats and ferrets; 5 to 6 p.m. dogs
- October 7, Claverack Town Park: 4 to 5 p.m. cats and ferrets; 5 to 6 p.m. dogs
- November 7, Kinderhook Town Highway Garage: 2 to 3 p.m. cats and ferrets; 3 to 4 p.m. dogs
All animals must be kept either in a carrier or on a sturdy leash while at the clinics.
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