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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A raccoon found in Alexandria's Potomac Yard neighborhood has tested positive for rabies, the Alexandria Health Department said Friday, prompting a warning for residents to be careful around wildlife.
On May 23, an aggressive raccoon came into contact with a dog near East Glebe Road, the department said. The dog's owner may have been exposed while moving the pet to safety. Both the owner and the dog are safe, and the dog is being monitored for symptoms. The raccoon was captured and killed and later tested positive for rabies.
The health department advised people in the Potomac Yard area to take care around animals such as raccoons, noting that rabies is endemic among wildlife in the region.
Residents who see an animal showing signs of rabies should call Alexandria Animal Control at 703-746-4444. Symptoms in animals include unexpected aggression from an animal that would normally avoid people, heavy drooling or foaming at the mouth, and moving as if drunk or unusually sluggish.
Anyone bitten or scratched by an animal should wash the wound thoroughly with soap and plenty of water, seek medical care or call their veterinarian for a pet, and then report the exposure to the health department at 703-746-4910 during business hours.
To reduce risk, officials said residents should not feed or approach wild, stray or feral animals, even ones that appear friendly or injured, and should keep pets' vaccinations current. Under Virginia law, all dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies. Dogs are also required to be leashed in all public areas and parks. The health department advises keeping particular distance from raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks, which are more likely to carry the virus.
Keeping pets vaccinated is the best protection, officials said. The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria hosts low-cost rabies vaccine and microchip clinics for city pets; registration is available at awla.org.
Rabies is a preventable but deadly viral disease spread through the saliva of an infected animal by a bite or scratch. In people, symptoms may not appear for weeks or months, and the disease is nearly always fatal once they begin. Rabies cases among humans in the U.S. are rare. More information is available at alexandriava.gov/Rabies or by calling the health department at 703-746-4910.
