§ 2142. Rabies; emergency provisions. Whenever the commissioner confirms an outbreak of the disease rabies in terrestrial animals in any county or the vicinity thereof, the commissioner shall declare a rabies alert for that area and so certify to the county or local health authorities or any local health district contained therein. It shall be the duty of the health officials to immediately and annually thereafter publish a notice of the existence of the disease, together with a summary of the provisions of this title, in a newspaper generally circulated within the county or local health district, or to post notices in several conspicuous places, or both. Such certification shall remain in force until such time as the commissioner confirms that the outbreak is over.