Rabid Raccoon Bites 3 People, 2 Pets In Attacks

WASHINGTON, DC — A rabid raccoon attacked and bit three people and two pets in the Chevy Chase section of the District this weekend; all now face rabies shots, DC Health officials said Tuesday. The sick raccoon was captured Sunday afternoon in Northwest DC near 32nd Street and Nebraska Avenue NW. Animal Control officers captured the animal, which was humanely euthanized and tests conducted at the DC Public Health Laboratory determined the animal had rabies.

So far DC Health authorities say three people and two pets were exposed to the raccoon and the disease, which can be treated if left untreated. All three people have started receiving post-exposure rabies medicines. The two pets have been evaluated by a veterinarian, given a booster vaccine and confined for monitoring.

Anyone else who may have encountered a raccoon during this time should call DC Health at (202) 442-9143 or email rabies.info@dc.gov.

Rabies is most commonly found in bats, raccoons, foxes, and skunks. Each year, the DC Health Animal Services Program tests hundreds of wild and domestic animals for the disease. While most of the tests are negative, a few animals carrying rabies are found every year, according to a news release.

Rabies is a fatal disease spread from animals to humans. It is caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system, resulting in seizures, paralysis, and eventually death. The virus spreads through the saliva of a rabid animal; humans typically are exposed when a rabid animal bites a person, but scratches and saliva contact with broken skin or in the eyes or mouth) can also spread the virus, health officials said.

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Last year, a total of 194 animals were submitted to D.C. Health for rabies testing. Of the 194, 23 — less than 12 percent — tested positive, of which 20 were raccoons and three were bats. Northwest D.C. had the most infected raccoons, especially near Rock Creek Park, WTOP reports.

Rabies Facts:

• Only warm-blooded animals can be affected by the rabies virus and become rabid
• Dogs and cats can get rabies if they are not vaccinated
• Rabies is rarely seen in rodents such as mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, guinea pigs, hamsters, or rabbits
• Birds, turtles, lizards, fish, and insects cannot get rabies

If preventative treatment is given quickly after a person is exposed to rabies, it is unlikely they will become sick. If treatment is not given quickly, a person infected with rabies will die. This is why it is important to see a physician immediately if you are bitten by an aggressive animal, or animal that is acting abnormally, especially if it was a wild animal, DC officials said.

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