Upstate New York Officials On Edge: Rabid Animal Attacks Again

Another person was attacked and bitten by a rabid animal in the Hudson Valley.

Person Bit By Rabid Raccoon In Sullivan County, New York

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The Sullivan County Department of Public Health confirmed to Hudson Valley Post that a raccoon in the Livingston Manor area tested positive for the rabies virus.

Animals are tested after having contact with a human, officials say.

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This marks the fourth human exposure incident involving a laboratory-confirmed positive animal this year, the Sullivan County Department of Public Health reports.

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Animals in Which Rabies is Most Commonly Found

Rabies is most commonly found in these animals.

Animals in Which Rabies is Most Commonly Found

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in North America rabies is most commonly found in bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and mongoose. It is also found in cats, cattle, and dogs. The CDC says that rabid bats have been found in every state except for Hawaii. Rabid mongoose have been found in Puerto Rico.

Rabies is easily transmitted from animals to other animals, including human beings. Human cases are rare in the United States, but deadly if not caught in time.

Gallery Credit: Kristine Bellino

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Rabies Is Fatal Once Symptoms Start

Rabies is a potentially fatal disease. The only way to get it is through a bite from a sick animal or saliva in an open wound, officials say.

"The rabies virus infects the central nervous system. If a person does not receive the appropriate medical care after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death," the CDC states.

Once symptoms begin, rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal. Less than 10 people worldwide have survived after symptoms start.

Avoiding contact is your absolute best way of protecting yourself from this fatal disease, officials say.

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