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Rabies Prevention

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) Rabies Prevention Program serves to protect the public from the threat of rabies.  Rabies is a serious disease that affects animals and humans and can result in death if left untreated. It is commonly associated with wild animals such as raccoons, skunk, bats, foxes and coyotes .  The disease can spread to people and pets when the saliva from a rabid animal enters the body by way of a bite or a scratch, or through contact with the eyes, nose or mouth.

Rabies is very preventable.  CCBH program services and activities are carried out in an effort to minimize human exposure to the disease.   We strive to educate our communities on the importance of vaccinating our pets, avoiding contact with wildlife and strays, and reporting all animal bite and exposure incidents to our office.


Animal Bite & Exposure Incident Investigations 

State and local rules and regulations require all animal bites, scratches and exposure incidents be reported to the Board of Health within a 24 hour period.

All reported animal bite and exposure incidents are investigated

  • Follow up with animal owners and local veterinarians is conducted to ensure that applicable quarantine periods are successfully completed and required rabies vaccinations are up to date.  View the list of local veterinarians that support our program.

ORV Rabies Vaccine and Surveillance Initiative

Since the emergence of raccoon strain rabies in Northeast Ohio in 2004, CCBH has been collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Division of Wildlife Services and the Ohio Department of Health to prevent further spread of the disease throughout the state.   In an effort to vaccinate the wild raccoon population, the oral rabies vaccine (ORV) is distributed by CCBH in all communities east of  I-77 each year.  Enhanced surveillance allows us to test target species animals for rabies to evaluate the success of the ORV and to make determinations about where future efforts should be made.

Link to Ohio Department of Health ORV Program Information


The distribution of ORV is scheduled for the Spring and Fall and will take approximately 2 weeks to complete.  All communities east of I-77 will receive the bait application.  CCBH is currently accepting animals that with symptoms of illness or odd behavior for testing.

Educational Information

CCBH distributes rabies prevention materials throughout our communities.  They can be found at local city halls, community centers and veterinarian offices. To view materials, click on the links below.  To request delivery of printed materials, contact our office by phone or email.

Information for Physicians & Medical Personnel

Information for Veterinarians & Animal Control Personnel

Useful Links

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For questions regarding our program, please feel free to contact us:


Joe Lynch, R.S.                                  Stacey Short, R.S. 
Program Manager                                Program Manager
216-201-2001 ext 1241                       216-201-2001 ext 1253
jlynch@ccbh.net                                sshort@ccbh.net
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