The Fulton County Health Department is responsible for investigating reported animal bites within the county. These investigations typically involve contacting the person bitten, the owner of the animal, and the veterinarian to obtain the pertinent health and vaccination information for the animal involved in the biting incident. The Ohio Administrative Code Section 3701-3-28 requires that "whenever a person is bitten by a dog or other animal, report of such bite shall be made within twenty-four hours to the health commissioner of the district in which such bite occurred". Typically, hospitals, emergency medical centers, or family physicians report that they provided medical attention to a person involved in an animal bite by telephone or by faxing an animal bite report form to the Health Department. Animal control officers or anyone involved in the biting incident should also report the incident immediately.

The animal involved in the biting incident is required to be quarantined for at least ten days from the date on which a person was bitten. The quarantine period allows for the observation of the overall health of the animal. At the end of the quarantine period, the animal may be released if currently vaccinated against rabies. If the animal does not have a current rabies inoculation, it must be inoculated at the end of the ten day period.

If the animal dies before the end of the quarantine period or if it is a wild animal or a stray, the animal must be submitted to the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory for rabies testing. The shipment of the specimen can be arranged by contacting the Fulton County Health Department at (419) 337-0915.

Links:
Ohio Department of Health Rabies Program
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division 

More Info:
Quarantine Information
FAQ