Rabid Raccoon Found In Falls Church: Police

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Police urged residents to be aware of an ongoing rabies concern after a rabid raccoon was found in Falls Church.

Police located and euthanized the raccoon on Oct. 4 in the area of Lea Court and South Spring Street. The Fairfax County Health Department later confirmed the raccoon had rabies.

The raccoon was not believed to have contact with people. Police say residents should be aware of rabies impacting the area at all times.

Rabies is a virus that can be found in wild animals such as raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats and 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. Birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians cannot get rabies.

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.

Rabies is almost always fatal if symptoms develop but preventable with a series of Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) shots after exposure. If bitten by a wild or vaccinated animal, immediately scrub wounds with soap and running water before seeking medical attention. The Fairfax County Health Department has more information on what to do after animal bites.

Falls Church Police offer the following tips 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.