Environmental Health

Rabies Control

With the exception of Hall and Forsyth, the County Board of Health Rabies Control Regulations designate the Lead Environmental Health Specialist as the Rabies Control Officer for the County. The Animal Control Officer in Hall and Forsyth fills this role.

In counties where the Lead Environmental Health Specialist is the Rabies Control Officer, Environmental Health investigates animal bite/rabies exposure incidents and coordinates proper confinement of attacking domestic animals.  EH staff prepares and submits specimens to the state lab for testing, as well as facilitates disease tracking through the state disease surveillance program.

For additional information concerning Rabies, please visit:  http://dph.georgia.gov/rabies

To report an animal bite, please notify your local Health Department as soon as possible or if after hours, contact Georgia Poison Control at 1-800-282-5846. The Georgia Poison Center is available for rabies consultation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Visit the Office Contact Page for appropriate county contact information.

For a copy of the Georgia Rabies Manual please visit https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/rabies.

Environmental Health is also responsible for organizing dangerous dog hearing and coordinating with the County Attorney / Animal Control in those counties where the Board of Health has been designated as the hearing authority for such cases.