Rabies found in beaver, raccoon and bat

By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer

Lake George and Washington County have had four confirmed cases of rabies in wild animals in the past two weeks.

A beaver bit two people in the water on Lake George near Turtle Island July 4.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recovered a deceased beaver near Turtle Island July 9 that tested positive for rabies, but the agency stressed it cannot confirm it’s the beaver that bit two people.

On July 10, Washington County Public Health announced three confirmed cases of rabies “over the past several days” involving two raccoons and a bat in the towns of Hebron, Salem and Putnam.

Washington County Public Health Director Tina McDougall told The Chronicle Tuesday that no one was bitten in these encounters but “they met the criteria for exposure based on New York State guidance.”

She said she “can’t really get into the details of the cases” but said “exposure” could mean being exposed to the saliva of an animal.

In the case of bats, “If you wake up and there’s a bat in the room, there’s no way to know whether you’ve been exposed or bitten by that bat, because the bite can be so small that you may not even see it. We would really encourage people to capture the bat so we can send it for testing.”

For Lake George, on July 9, DEC enacted a water safety advisory warning swimmers to avoid areas around campsites 1-5 at Turtle Island through at least July 14 “due to the presence of one or more beaver that may be infected with rabies.”

“It is possible that the recovered animal may have infected others in the beaver colony at Turtle Island,” the advisory warned.
Washington County Public Health became aware of the rabid animal incidents after “people called them.” Ms. McDouglall said the bat was in a caller’s home. The raccoons were not in homes but were “in the vicinity of the callers’ homes.”

“All known exposed humans and domestic animals were identified following the Public Health investigations and are currently being treated and monitored in accordance with standard practice and medical and veterinary guidelines,” the county advisory stated.

DEC said the Lake George beaver attack occurred “just offshore from a dock between campsites 2 and 3 on Turtle Island. There is a beaver den approximately 150 feet from where the campers were injured.”

Multiple media outlets said one of the people attacked by the beaver was Brandon Shortsleeve of Burlington, Vermont. The Chronicle reached out to him via Facebook but did not hear back.

A GoFundMe called “Help Brandon Recover After Lake George Accident” had raised $5,635 of a $10,000 goal as of Tuesday.

DEC advised, “Boaters and campers should exercise utmost caution and are advised to avoid contact with beaver (including carcasses) while recreating. Individuals should never approach or feed any wildlife.

“DEC continues to closely monitor the colony and requests visitors report any sightings of beaver in the area that may be demonstrating unusual behavior to the NYSDEC Dispatch at (518) 897-1326. In an emergency, call 911.”

On Friday, Washington County Public Health urged residents to use caution following the confirmed cases of rabies in Hebron, Salem, and Putnam involving two raccoons and a bat.

Ms. McDougall said one of the raccoons “died on its own” and the other was euthanized. The bat “was already deceased.”
The Chronicle asked “Where exactly were these cases discovered, and when?”

“I can’t give you that information,” Ms. McDougall responded.

The advisory stated, “While rabies is always present in wildlife throughout New York State, the recent increase in confirmed cases serves as an important reminder for the members of our communities to remain vigilant and avoid contact with wild animals or any animal exhibiting unusual behavior.”

Asked what the reason is for the uptick in rabies cases, Ms. McDougall said she wasn’t sure.

“It could be due to increased testing, increased awareness,” she hypothesized. “Like people calling us when they wake up and there’s a bat in the room. We really try to educate people, so we can submit the bat for testing so we don’t have to send them for post-exposure shots if it’s not necessary.”

She said the recent week with three positive cases was “high for us for a week’s worth of time.”

“It kind of ebbs and flows,” she said.

“We normally get between six and eight cases each year of rabies samples that we receive positive results on.”

Ms. McDougall emphasized, “We don’t want to spread panic. We really want to spread awareness and educate people. If they have questions, they can definitely call us.”

The advisory said people should watch for animals that appear unusually aggressive or tame, stagger or seem disoriented, drool excessively, are active during unusual hours, or approach people or pets without fear, the advisory noted. “Animals appearing or acting strange should be reported immediately to local law enforcement.”

Key safety tips from the county include: never touch wild animals even if they appear sick or friendly; keep pets current on rabies vaccinations; supervise pets outdoors; and secure garbage and pet food that may attract wildlife. “If you find a bat inside your home, do not release it until speaking with our Public Health team, especially if anyone may have been sleeping, a child was present, or there was potential contact with the bat,” the advisory said.

“If bitten or scratched, residents should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention. Contact Washington County Public Health at 746-2400, the Washington County Sheriff at 747-4623, or call 9-1-1 in emergencies. More information is available at washingtoncountyny.gov.”

Alleged beaver attack on Glen Island refuted

NewsChannel 13 reported Tuesday morning, “Another beaver attack on Lake George left a marine patrol officer injured and renewed concerns about possible rabies in the area.

“NewsChannel 13 learned a Lake Park Commission Marine Patrol officer was treated after an encounter with what is believed to be a rabid beaver on or near the state boat dock on Green Island in Bolton.

“The officer was not seriously injured. The animal was destroyed.”

The Chronicle pursued the story and is informed that an officer was removing a dead beaver that turned out not to be rabid. There was no attack; the minor injury was a scratch from the beaver claw in the process of the animal’s removal.

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