Rabies Information

TAHD Rabies Information Numbers

For all questions, concerns, human and animal exposure, contact:
Torrington Area Health District (860) 489-0436

Alternatively

For questions concerning human exposure and rabies shots contact:
Connecticut Department of Public Health (860) 509-7994

For questions concerning livestock and domestic animal exposures, contact:
the State Veterinarian (860) 713-2505

For general rabies information contact:
the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association (860) 232-5000

For questions concerning wildlife (unusual behavior, etc) contact:
the Department of Environmental Protection, Wildlife Enforcement Division (860) 424-3011

For Emergencies call:
(860) 424-3333

Additional information may also be obtained from your local Animal Control Officer:
Alicia Campbell (860) 379-2721 ext. 522

Under certain circumstances, people might want or need to call a Private Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator. These are state licensed people who charge for the removal of nuisance animals

Call the Torrington Area Health District for the name of a private nuisance control operator near you.

Rabies Testing Protocols

Torrington Area Health Department (TAHD)

I. Submitting Specimens for Rabies Testing

a) The TAHD provides shipping of rabies specimens to the State Lab for residents of our communities. Effective May 1, 2006, cost for shipping rabies specimen will be $25.00

b) Specimens must be brought to the TAHD dead, double bagged, and secured tightly for shipping by UPS.

c) Small animals (e.g. bats, kittens, puppies) may be submitted as whole carcasses.

d) Heads of large animals must be removed by a veterinarian for shipping.

e) Specimens will be shipped Monday through Thursday (we do not ship on Fridays or the day before a holiday). Specimens should be brought to TAHD by 11:30 AM for same day pick-up by UPS.

f) Skunks or skunk heads will not be accepted under any circumstance. The involved party, animal control officer (ACO), or veterinarian must deliver them to the lab.

g) The chain of responsibility for transporting any animal involved in a human exposure directly to the Lab is as follows:

1. The attending veterinarian
2. The owner of the animal involved
3. The person who has been exposed

h) If a person chooses to transport the specimen to the Lab in Hartford, they will be directed to come to the TAHD for the property submission forms and directions to the State Lab.