The Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) confirmed Friday that a raccoon in Spotsylvania County tested positive for rabies. The raccoon was found near the 7000 block of Stubbs Bridge Road near Lake Anna.
The health district is requesting that anyone who had contact with the animal seek immediate medical care and contact the Spotsylvania County Health Department at (540) 507-7386.
The health district also advised anyone whose pet was exposed to the raccoon or any other potentially rabid animal consult a veterinarian or call the county’s animal control at (540) 507-7549.
RAHD noted in a release that rabies is a deadly disease that is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. It can be prevented in cats, dogs, ferrets and some livestock by a vaccination.
“Rabies kills almost any mammal or human that gets sick from it,” RAHD noted. “The rabies virus is mainly in the saliva and brain tissue of rabid animals. It can be transmitted through a bite or by getting saliva or brain tissue in a wound or in the eye or mouth.”
Virginia law requires that all dogs and cats four months and older be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and that all vaccinations are kept current. To help prevent the spread of rabies, RAHD urges everyone to avoid contact with wild animals, report animal bites and unusual acting animals to animal control, vaccinate all pets and seek medical help if exposed.
A rabies fact sheet can be found at: www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/epidemiology-fact-sheets/rabies/.
