Montgomery County Treats 5 After Rabid Horse Exposure as Vaccines Cost $15,000-$20,000
Updated
Updated · WRGB · Jul 17
Montgomery County Treats 5 After Rabid Horse Exposure as Vaccines Cost $15,000-$20,000
3 articles · Updated · WRGB · Jul 17
Summary
Five people are receiving rabies treatment after exposure to a horse in Fultonville that later tested positive for rabies, Montgomery County health officials said.
Lab results identified the raccoon strain, and the county believes the horse was infected after an altercation with a raccoon before it bit a worker while showing neurological symptoms.
The post-exposure shots will cost the health department $15,000 to $20,000 from general funds because the expense was not budgeted, officials said.
Two other horses on the private farm are under quarantine, while 54 animals have already been tested for rabies in Montgomery County this year.
Officials said pre-exposure vaccination is far cheaper than treatment afterward, with human vaccines costing about $850 versus more than $3,000 for post-exposure rounds.