Rabid Raccoon Found In Fairfax City: Police

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Police are asking residents to exercise caution after officers found a rabid raccoon in a Fairfax City neighborhood last weekend. The raccoon was found in the 3500 block of Park Hill Place after it was reported the animal was "not moving and in distress."

Police said the raccoon was humanely euthanized, and two days later, the animal tested positive for rabies. Police are asking anyone who may have came in contact with the animal to call Animal Control at 703-385-7924.

Rabies is a virus that can be found in wild animals such as raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats and can be spread to unvaccinated people and animals, especially feral cats. The rabies virus spreads through an infected animal's saliva or central nervous tissue into an open wound, mouth, nose or eyes of a person or animal.

Rabies can be hard to detect in the early stages, but common signs for animals are staggering, drooling or appearing paralyzed. Animals appearing overly friendly or in distress should be avoided.

Officials encourage residents to exercise the following precautions to avoid exposure to rabies:

• Never feed stray animals or wildlife or leave pet food out on your property. Clean up excess bird food on the ground which draws in rats and other small mammals and birds. Do not attempt to rehabilitate wildlife. Do not foster wildlife in your yard or home.
• Vaccinate your dogs and cats and make sure their vaccinations are up to date.
• Never allow your pets (especially cats) to roam unattended.
• Seal up any openings in your house so that wildlife cannot enter.
• Be aware of the abundance of wildlife in our area and understand that the wildlife in our area coexist very well. Most of the wildlife population is healthy.