WELLESLEY ISLAND, N.Y. (WWTI) - The Jefferson County Public Health Service has reported that a raccoon on Wellesley Island has tested positive for rabies.
The state's Department of Health Wadsworth laboratory reported the results after being submitted for testing.
There was no known human or pet exposure according to the JCPHS.
The raccoon is the 11th animal to test positive for the disease. A pair of foxes and eight other raccoons have also tested positive for rabies.
Rabies is a fatal disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It can take several weeks to several months for rabies symptoms to appear. Early treatment after an exposure can prevent rabies in humans and in pets who are up to date on vaccination.
Any mammal can get rabies, but it is most often seen in bats, raccoons