Press Release: First Rabies Case for 2021 Reported in Garrett County – by Garrett County Health Department

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department
 
Environmental Health Services of the Garrett County Health Department reports the first case of laboratory-confirmed rabies in the county for 2021. On November 30, 2021, an altercation involving a raccoon and a vaccinated dog occurred in the Deep Creek Lake area.

The raccoon specimen was submitted to the Maryland Department of Health Rabies Laboratory on December 1, 2021. Positive results for the rabies virus were received on December 2, 2021. Following protocol in the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2016, the dog was administered a rabies booster shot directly after the incident and will be closely monitored under the owner’s control for the next 45 days.