Rabid Raccoon Found in Oakmont

Residents in the Plum-Oakmont area should be aware and avoid contact with raccoons and other animals that could carry the rabies virus.

According to the Allegheny County Health Department, a raccoon found in Oakmont on Sunday tested positive for rabies.

Residents reported seeing a raccoon acting lethargically and staggering along and near the walking trail parallel to Allegheny River Boulevard and Allegheny Avenue.

The raccoon was tracked, put down and submitted to the health department for rabies testing by officers. 

So far there have been no known exposures to the raccoon, but anyone who could have had contact with the animal is asked to call the county health department at 412-687-2243.

Five rabid animals—four of them raccoons—have been reported in the county this year.

About rabies

Rabies is a preventable viral disease that affects the brain and spinal cord in humans and animals. The virus may infect any mammal but is most often found in raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes. In the U.S., the disease is rare in humans but once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal, according to the county health department.

Symptoms, if they appear, may include irritability, fever, headache, anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, behavioral change, problems swallowing, increased drooling and aggression. There is no treatment for rabies after symptoms appear.

The rabies vaccine is highly effective when given promptly after an exposure. Treatment nowadays consists of relatively painless injections—about four—in the arm instead of the excruciating stomach injections given many years ago.

Tips

The health department advises all residents to stay away from wild animals that pose a rabies threat. Most animals will leave you alone, but if it stays or acts threatening, call animal control service, the police or the Game Commission.

In addition, pet owners are advised to vaccinate dogs and cats against rabies and keep them away from raccoons and other animals that may carry the virus.

If your pet encounters such an animal, especially if it is bitten or comes in contact with their saliva, wear rubber gloves when handling your pet, cleanse any wounds with soap and water and take it to a veterinarian for examination.

If you are ever bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to saliva from a raccoon or any other animal, cleanse the contact area with soap and water, seek emergency medical treatment and call the Allegheny County Health Department at 412-687-2243 to report the incident.

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