Allegany County public health director reports 598 animal rabies vaccines, 21 human treatments; board appointment noted

Public Health Director Tyler Shaw told the Allegany County Human Services Committee that the county issued 598 animal rabies vaccines in the past year and provided 21 human rabies post-exposure treatments. "We closed out the year issuing 598 animal rabies vaccines for the year," Shaw said, and added that the department recently received a fifth positive rabies specimen — a raccoon from the Belmont area.

Shaw said the department will report additional details next month and noted that the positive specimens were found across the county. Committee members offered congratulations after a member announced Shaw’s appointment to the Jones Memorial Hospital board of directors; Shaw described the position as a volunteer appointment and thanked the committee.

The committee asked a few clarifying questions about rabies protocol and related services. Shaw also used his report to note program activity beyond rabies: he described an allocation of additional WIC infrastructure grant funds meant to cover translation services and said he will return to the committee in 2026 to accept and appropriate the actual grant dollars.

The committee carried routine procedural votes related to accepting Shaw’s reports and related consent items. The committee did not take additional action on rabies beyond receiving the report. The most recent procedural step is that Shaw will present final grant acceptance and appropriation amounts to the committee in 2026.