Another Rabid Raccoon Confirmed In Camden County: Health Officials

LAWNSIDE, NJ — Health officials say that a sick raccoon removed from a Camden County borough has tested positive for rabies.

A passerby reported the sick animal in Lawnside on Jan. 18, according to the Camden County Health Department. The animal control officer picked it up and sent it to the Public Health & Environmental Laboratories (PHEL) in Trenton. The NJ Department of Health and Human Services notified the Camden County Health Department that it tested positive for rabies, officials said on Thursday.

A “Health Bulletin” was distributed in the area that the raccoon was found, said officials. This is the second rabid raccoon reported in two weeks in Camden County, as a raccoon removed from a Clementon yard on Jan. 14 also tested positive for rabies.

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.

“If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal it is important that you seek immediate medical attention," she said.

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.