HUDSON – Two recent incidents in Columbia County have prompted the county health department to issue a warning to residents about rabies awareness.

A fox attacked a boy in Stockport resulting in the rabies post exposure vaccination, because the fox escaped.

The second incident involved a lab confirmed rabid raccoon that attacked a dog in Elizaville, resulting in post exposure vaccination for the owner and six month quarantine of the dog because the pet’s rabies vaccination had lapsed.

In 2009 post exposure contacts resulted in 24 individuals receiving the rabies vaccination series. The Columbia County Health Department sent seven raccoons, and one gray fox for rabies testing in 2009, all coming back positive for rabies.

The Health Department reminds county residents to use precaution if an animal is behaving abnormally, is unusually aggressive or friendly.  Stay clear and call an animal control professional. If you are bitten by a rabid-acting animal, make every effort to locate the animal and have it captured for testing. If the animal cannot be captured you should seek medical attention immediately.

Exposure short of an actual bite to high rabies risk animals, such as raccoon, bats, skunks and foxes also require immediate medical attention. Any potential exposure should be reported to the County Health Department.

County residents can also limit their exposure by keeping their pets properly vaccinated.