A raccoon found in Davidsonville on July 15 tested positive for rabies, according to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health.
The department is asking anyone who may have had contact with the raccoon, or whose pet may have new unexplained wounds, to contact them at 410-222-7254 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 443-481-3140 after business hours.
Rabies is spread by a bite or scratch from an infected animal, such as a groundhog, cat, fox, raccoon, skunk or bat. Another way the disease spreads is by an infected animal’s saliva coming into contact with the eyes, nose, mouth or open cut of a person or another animal.
In Maryland, rabies is mostly found in raccoons and bats. Red and gray foxes, skunks, feral cats, coyotes, bobcats, groundhogs, deer, otters and beavers have been known to carry the disease as well, the department said in a news release.
Once infected, the virus incubates in its host for weeks to months.
Smaller mammals such as squirrels can also develop rabies, but a bite wound to these smaller animals usually ends in their death.
Symptoms of rabies in humans include fever, headache, general weakness and discomfort.
Untreated, symptoms will increase to include pain and tingling at the site of exposure, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, hallucinations, agitation, foaming at the mouth, difficulty swallowing, fear of water (hydrophobia), and death.
Health officials suggest keeping a safe distance from wildlife and preventing animal access to trashcans.
Pets should also be supervised while outdoors and vaccinated against rabies.
If bitten or scratched by a suspected rabid animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water, seek medical attention.
Animals that appear sick or injured that have had no human or pet contact can be reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources at 877-463-6497 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or the Maryland Natural Resources Police at 410-260-8888 after hours.
The department places vaccine baits throughout Anne Arundel County, which immunizes thousands of wild raccoons to help prevent the spread of rabies.
