ALEXANDRIA, VA — A rabies alert was issued by the Alexandria Health Department Friday due to a raccoon with rabies and coming in contact with a dog.
The health department said the raccoon had contact with a dog in a backyard in the Taylor Run neighborhood. The raccoon was tested and was found to be positive for rabies. The raccoon is now dead, and the impacted dog is in confinement.
There is no indication that other wild animals have rabies, but the health department says there is an increased risk. Anyone who had physical contact with a raccoon or with concerns of rabies exposure can contact the Alexandria Health Department at 703-746-4910 during its business hours. If residents see animals with signs of rabies, call Alexandria Animal Control at 703-746-4444.
Rabies, which can be fatal to humans if not treated, spreads to people and pets through the bite and scratches of an infected animal. Rabies cases in people are rare due to vaccination programs, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says rabies can cause severe brain disease and death without medical care before symptoms start. Immediate medical attention after exposure is almost 100 percent effective in preventing rabies when given properly. The CDC also recommends immediately washing wounds with soap and water for 15 minutes.
In animals, symptoms of rabies include unexpected aggression from an animal that would normally avoid people, extreme drooling or foaming at the mouth, and walking as if drunk or unusual sluggishness or stupor. When pets have been exposed to rabies, owners should keep them confined and observed for 10 days, according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends euthanizing an animal showing signs of rabies. Signs of rabies in animals may include abnormal behavior, lethargy, fever, vomiting and anorexia, ataxia, weakness, self-mutilation, rapid progression to cerebral and cranial nerve dysfunction, paralysis, seizures, swallowing difficulties, excessive salivation and aggression.
The best way to prevent rabies infection in pets is to keep them vaccinated against rabies, according to the health department. In Alexandria, all dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies according to law.
More guidance about responding to rabies exposure is available at www.alexandriava.gov/Rabies.
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