Rabid Raccoon Found In Gloucester Township

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A raccoon found in Gloucester Township has tested positive for rabies.

A resident's dog has been given a rabies booster shot and placed under a strict, four-month quarantine following potential exposure to the virus, according to the Camden County Health Department. The township's animal control officer is monitoring the situation.

There have been no known human exposures to the raccoon.

On April 25, a resident observed their dog with a raccoon in their neighborhood. The animal control officer picked up the raccoon and submitted it for rabies testing at the state's Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton.

State officials notified the county health department this week that the raccoon was rabid. A "health bulletin" was distributed in the area where the raccoon was found.

Human deaths from rabies are rare in the United States, occurring only once or twice per year since 1960, according to the CDC. But rabies is fatal in more than 99 percent of cases, with no treatment once signs or symptoms emerge, so post-exposure treatment is vital for people and animals.

"Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment," said County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the health department. "If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention."

Betteridge advised pet owners to do the following:

• Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats and ferrets.
• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately.
• Contact your local animal-control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. They may be unvaccinated and could be infected by the disease.

People should also take the following steps to avoid direct contact with unfamiliar animals, Betteridge says:

• Enjoy wild animals such as raccoons, skunks and foxes from afar. Do not handle, feed or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or liter.
  
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick animals to health. Call animal control or an animal-rescue agency for assistance.
• Teach children to never handle unfamiliar animals — wild or domestic — even if they seem friendly.
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, houses of worship, schools and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people or pets.
• When traveling abroad, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries. Rabies is common in developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year.

For more information about rabies, visit the CDC's webpage. Camden County residents can call the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 856-374-6370.