Rabid Raccoon Identified In Cherry Hill: Officials

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A raccoon that attacked two dogs in the backyard of a Cherry Hill home has tested positive for rabies, county officials announced on Thursday. The raccoon attacked the dogs in the home’s backyard on Aug. 17, according to the Camden County Health Department. There was no human contact.

The Cherry Hill Animal Control Officer picked up the raccoon and sent it to the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratories (PHEL) Trenton for testing. On Thursday, Aug. 23, PHEL notified the county that the raccoon had tested positive for rabies. The dogs are up to date on vaccinations and will receive booster shots. The name and address of the person who reported the raccoon wasn’t released.

“Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Health Department, said. “If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention.”

Rodriguez also provided the following tips:

1. Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats, and ferrets.
2. Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
3. Contact your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. They may be unvaccinated and could be infected by the disease.
4. Enjoy wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes from afar. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or liter.
5. Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick animals to health. Call animal control or an animal rescue agency for assistance.
6. Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they seem friendly.
7. Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people or pets.
8. When traveling abroad, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries. Rabies is common in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year in these countries.

For more information about rabies, visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/ or call the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 856-374-6370.

Image via Shutterstock. The pictured raccoon is not the raccoon involved in this incident.