Rabid Raccoon Found In Pittsburgh Neighborhood

PITTSBURGH, PA —A raccoon from Pittsburgh's Duquesne Heights neighborhood tested positive for rabies, the Allegheny County Health Department announced Friday.

A resident reported the raccoon to an animal rescue organization earlier this month. The organization took the raccoon and was treating it for mange until it recently exhibited symptoms consistent with rabies.

Neither the organization nor the resident reported any human exposure to the raccoon.

Rabies is a virus transmitted by an animal bite or scratch. It is almost always fatal when exposures are left untreated.

This is the first animal to test positive for rabies in the county in 2021.