Local public health officials were informed Friday that a Willow Creek resident has tested positive for rabies and was sent to a Sacramento-area hospital.

According to a Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported the infection. Rabies is caused by a virus that is transmitted through the saliva and neural tissue of infected animals, and state and local officials are contacting people who may have been exposed and encouraging people to seek treatment. Further information on the patient was unavailable.

Preventative vaccines are available and should be administered to people as soon as possible after they are potentially exposed, according to the department.

”As in many locations, rabies is endemic in Humboldt County wildlife,” said Dr. Ann Lindsay, Humboldt County Health Officer, in a statement. “the No. 1 thing residents can do to protect themselves and their families is to vaccinate their domestic animals. secondly, residents should notify law enforcement of any animals exhibiting unusual behaviors.”

Vaccination clinics are available periodically for dogs and cats for $6 per shot. Redwood Animal Hospital is hosting one today from 10 to 11 a.m. On may 14, Fortuna Veterinary Clinic and McKinleyville Animal Care Center will host vaccination clinics. A schedule of clinics is available at co.humboldt.ca.us/hhs/phb/environmentalhealth/pressreleases.

Human rabies is rare in the United States, with only a handful of cases reported every year, according to the health department press release. No cases have ever been documented of human-to-human transmission of the disease.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, symptoms include drooling, convulsions, loss of muscle function, numbness and restlessness. Immunizations given to a patient soon after being exposed have proven to completely prevent the infection from developing. However, the NCBI reports that once symptoms appear, the person infected rarely survives and death from respiratory failure usually occurs within a week after symptoms appear.

For information on rabies, vaccinations and testing, call 445-6215.