PHOENIX -- Arizona had a record number of rabies cases in 2009, the Arizona Department of Health Services said.

The department said 261 animals tested positive for rabies, 85 more than 2008.

In one case, a rabid bobcat walked into an Arizona bar.

• Read: Bobcat Attacks Cottonwood Bar Patrons

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.

"There is no sign of rabies letting up in many parts of the state," said Craig Levy, vector-borne disease program manager. "As we head into 2010, we need to be prepared for more rabid animals and the exposures to people and pets that they bring."

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.