Health officials say Arizona had a record number of rabies cases in 2009.
The state Department of Health Services says 261 animals tested positive for rabies, 85 more than 2008.
During the record-breaking year, two counties established quarantines — another first for Arizona.
Santa Cruz County in December instituted a 60-day quarantine for the entire county, similar to Coconino County’s quarantine earlier in the year.
Both counties ordered people to keep their dogs in their yards or on a short leash, bring dishes of pet food indoors at night and vaccinate all pets.
Rabies is transmitted through bites or saliva contact with a rabid animal. In 2009, 47 people in Arizona were exposed to confirmed rabid animals. They received the correct treatment quickly and the infection was stopped.
