Three foxes in the Western Alaska community of Hooper Bay have tested positive for rabies. While there is no known human exposure, health officials urge pet owners to vaccinate their animals as rabies can spread from animals to humans. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) is working to prevent further spread through vaccination clinics and public awareness campaigns.
Three foxes in the Western Alaska community of Hooper Bay have tested positive for rabies. But the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, or YKHC, said that there is no known human exposure to the virus in the community.
“Vaccinations are the only way to ensure that the pet is protected against rabies,” said Brian Lefferts, the director of public health at YKHC. “If not vaccinated, and an animal is attacked by a rabid animal, then rabies is 100% fatal.”“We're not only protecting our pets in that situation, but you're also protecting the people in your household,” Lefferts said.
YKHC said that after increased fox sightings in Hooper Bay, the health corporation hosted a pet vaccination clinic and trained two vaccinators in the community. It’s part of a broader region-wide program run through the YKHC Office of Environmental Health that vaccinates hundreds of pets in over a dozen communities each year.
RABIES FOX ALASKA VACCINATION ANIMAL BITES
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