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Woodchuck in Town of West Turin Tests Positive for
Rabies
Published: July 28, 2026 at
03:45 p.m.
By: Press Release
from Lewis County Public Health
Lewis County
Public Health has been notified by the New York State Department of Health
Wadsworth Laboratory that a woodchuck in the Town of West Turin has tested
positive for rabies. An unvaccinated domestic animal was exposed and has
been placed on a 6-month quarantine. A vaccinated domestic animal that was
exposed required a rabies booster.
Lewis County
Public Health reminds all Lewis County residents and those that visit our
county that rabies is a very serious and deadly disease affecting the
central nervous system. It can be transmitted from infected animals to
humans if they are exposed to the saliva or nervous tissue of a rabid
animal through a bite or scratch.
Summer is peak
season for bat activity and activity is certainly rising here in Lewis
County. If residents find a bat in their home and there is any chance of
human or pet exposure, do not let it outside, it should be safely captured
and saved for rabies testing. It is possible for a person to have contact
with a bat and not know it while asleep, therefore all bats that are found
in the room of a sleeping person or small child should be captured and
tested for rabies. Capturing the bat is important because rabies testing
can determine whether rabies post-exposure treatment is necessary. If the
bat tests negative for rabies, treatment can be avoided.
If you find a bat
(dead or alive):
- If/when it is safe to do so, confine it to
the room where it was discovered and wait for it to land.
- Wearing thick gloves, cover the bat with a
small container, such as a coffee can or piece of Tupperware.
- Slide a lid or a piece of cardboard under the
container and secure with tape to prevent escape.
- Call Lewis County Public Health immediately
315-376-5453 for further instructions, even if bat escapes or cannot
be located. Public Health staff are available 24/7 to assist you.
- To view a video on how to safely capture a
bat, please visit: https://youtu.be/_YhnV5WJQBA.
It is very
important for people and their pets to avoid direct contact with wild
animals as well as stray domestic animals, particularly if the animals are
behaving abnormally, and ensure your pets are up to date with rabies
vaccinations. The next rabies clinic will be held in September, and the
date will be published in the coming weeks.
For more
information about rabies, call Lewis County Public Health at 315-376-5453.
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