Sick Raccoon Tests Positive For Rabies, Camden County Officials Say

CLEMENTON, NJ — A raccoon removed from a yard in Clementon has confirmed positive for rabies after a family found it last week, health officials said.

A local animal control officer picked up the sick raccoon from the family's yard and sent it to the Public Health & Environmental Laboratories (PHEL) in Trenton. The state Department of Health and Human Services notified the Camden County Health Department that it tested positive for rabies, officials said Friday.

No human exposures were reported, officials said. The Department of Health and Human Services did not provide the name or address of the individual who reported the raccoon.

Camden County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services, reminded residents rabies is a serious illness but can be treated.

“Although rabies is a serious illness, it can be prevented by early treatment,” Betteridge said. "If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention."

Betteridge and the county health department said they urge residents to act responsibly as a pet owner by keeping vaccinations up to date and making sure pets do not come in contact with wild or unfamiliar animals.

The county issued the following guidelines for pet owners:

1. Keep vaccinations up to date for all dogs, cats, and ferrets.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Also, Betteridge and health officials ask residents not to handle, feed, or or attract wild animals like raccoons, skunks, and foxes; furthermore, residents are advised to teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, whether wild or domestic, even if they seem friendly.