Rabid Raccoons Increase Throughout Morris Co. Town

DENVILLE, NJ — The number of rabid raccoons is on the rise in Denville, and police are urging residents to stay safe around wildlife.

Police did not say how many raccoons texted positive for the disease, but confirmed that there's a continued increase in the number of sick raccoons in the township. Nearby Parsippany has also seen several rabid raccoons this season.

"As a result, we would like to remind all residents to ensure that their family pets are currently immunized for rabies and that they should not approach any wildlife, particularly if the animal appears to be sick or injured," Denville police warned in an alert.

Raccoons are a common carrier of rabies, a neurological virus usually transmitted when an infected animal bites, and saliva from the infected animal comes into contact with any open cuts.

Signs of rabies in animals include aggressive behavior, appear to be drunk or injured, and/or have trouble walking, disorientation, loss of appetite, excessive irritability, unusual vocalization, abnormal behavior, restlessness, jumping at noises, excessive salivation, tremors, convulsions, or paralysis.

Rabies can be treated in humans, if a vaccine is given before symptoms start. Between 2017 and 2019, about 55,000 Americans were treated for potential rabies exposure, the CDC says. There are about one to three rabies deaths a year in America; most cases of rabies, fatal or not, are transmitted by bats.

There are steps you can take to keep yourself safe from rabid animals:

• Avoid any direct contact with wild or stray animals.
• Do not feed or touch any wild animals.
• Do not allow your cats or dogs to have contact with any wild animals.
• Vaccinate your pets against rabies and keep vaccinations up-to-date.
• Never adopt any wild animals or bring them into your home.
• Ensure that garbage stored outdoors is inaccessible to wildlife. Use tight-fitting lids on garbage cans containing food waste and, whenever possible, keep such garbage indoors until collection day.
• Report all injuries and bites to persons or domestic animals to the Denville Township Animal Control Officer and the Denville Township Health Department.
• Residents who have any pets that have been left outside unsupervised should seek veterinary attention for any new injuries of unknown origin.