Police: Rabid Raccoon Attacks Man in Kings Park

Image: A raccoon (similar to the one shown above) bit a resident while he was gardening Sunday in his Kings Park neighborhood (FCPD).

A rabid raccoon attacked and bit a man Sunday in the Kings Park neighborhood, and then charged an animal control officer who shot and killed it, according to the Fairfax County police.

The raccoon was subsequently tested in a laboratory and found to be positive for rabies. The victim was treated and “is taking appropriate medications,” the police said Tuesday.

The attack occurred in the 5300 block of Kings Park Drive, off Rolling Road near Burke, according to a police report.

The unidentified victim was working in his garden at around 12:30 p.m. Sunday when the raccoon quietly approached him from behind and viciously bit him, causing a laceration nearly 12 inches long, the police said. An animal control officer responded to the scene and shot the animal when it charged.

On Tuesday, animal control officers distributed rabies information to residents in the Kings Park area, the police said. So far this year, there have been 21 positive rabies cases investigated by Fairfax County animal control officers; there were 50 last year.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes.

Domestic animals account for less than 10 percent of reported rabies cases, with cats, cattle and dogs most often reported rabid.

More information on the rabies virus, exposure prevention tips, and what to do if an animal bites is available from Fairfax County by clicking here.