If a person or pet has been exposed to rabies, health officials recommend immediately washing the wound, and then reporting the animal that is suspected to be infected with the disease to the health department or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Symptoms of rabies might not show up in humans for weeks or months after infection but may initially appear similar to the flu before progressing into anxiety, confusion, abnormal behavior and delirium, the health department said.

Once clinical signs of rabies show up in humans, the disease is almost always fatal, so it's important to report any suspected exposure to the disease, health officials said.