Monroe County health officials have confirmed that a raccoon that attacked a man last month in Chili was rabid.

The attack occurred on Shrubbery Lane in Chili on June 28, said Ryan Horey, spokesman for the Monroe County Department of Public Health. The raccoon bit a man and was killed by responding Monroe County sheriff's deputies, he said. The animal was shipped to the health department for testing.

Once the raccoon tested positive for rabies, the man started a course of medical treatment, Horey said.

Rabies is a virus found in mammals that is most commonly spread by the bite of an infected animal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rabies is fatal if not treated before symptoms appear, which is why people will often begin treatment even if it's only suspected they were exposed to a rabid animal.

The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the CDC each year occur in wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes.

Fifty-seven people have been treated for rabies in Monroe County so far this year, Horey said.

If you've had contact with an animals believed to be rabid, contact the Monroe County Health Department at (585) 753-5171 so the animal can be tested for rabies, which requires euthanizing the animal.

VFREILE@Gannett.com

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