Ellicott City Woman Attacked By Possibly Rabid Raccoon: Police

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Authorities say an Ellicott City woman was attacked by a possibly rabid raccoon in her backyard Wednesday.

At about 2 p.m., Howard County Police were called to Green Spring Court after a raccoon bit a resident and almost attacked a neighbor. According to officials, the injured woman's neighbor trapped the animal inside a room and called police.

Once on the scene, an officer was able to get the raccoon outside. Police said the raccoon then tried to attack the officer.

Howard County Police Department Spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said the animal, which was put down, "exhibited clear signs of rabies." Health officials are conducting tests to determine if the raccoon was rabid.

Rabies is spread by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, such as a raccoon, cat, fox, groundhog, or bat. It also is spread when the infected animal's saliva comes in contact with the eyes, nose, mouth, or open cut of a person or another animal.

While rabies is preventable, Howard County health officials say that the virus is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. The best prevention: getting you and your pets vaccinated before an incident occurs. Anyone who was attacked by an animal — wild or domestic — should seek immediate medical attention after washing the wound with soap and water.

For more information about the virus and how to protect yourself, click here.