Raccoon tests positive for rabies in New Jersey town. What to know

Health officials have issued a warning to residents in one New Jersey town.

According to the Camden County Health Department, a raccoon removed from a neighborhood in Gloucester Township has tested positive for rabies.

On April 25, a Gloucester Township resident observed their dog with a raccoon in their neighborhood, officials said.

Officials stated that the Gloucester Township Animal Control Officer picked up the animal and submitted it for rabies testing at the state Public Health & Environmental Laboratories in Trenton. This week, the DHSS notified the Camden County Health Department that the animal was rabid.

No humans have been reported to be exposed to the raccoon, only the dog, according to officials.

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

Betteridge has tips for the county residents:

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.

Betteridge said it is also important to avoid direct contact with unfamiliar animals:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they seem friendly.
4. Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people or pets.
5. When traveling abroad, avoid direct contact with wild animals and be especially careful around dogs in developing countries.  Rabies is common in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.  Tens of thousands of people die of rabies each year in these countries.