DACULA, Ga. — A rabid raccoon in a Gwinnett County neighborhood bit a 2-year-old that was attempting to pet it.
Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and the Health Department said it happened on Friday on Brooks Road in Dacula. Officials said the raccoon later tested positive for the disease.
Officials are warning residents to use caution in their neighborhoods and avoid animals behaving "unusually."
This is the fourth animal this year to test positive for rabies in Gwinnett County after three cats were infected with the disease.
Officials added that rabies can be transmitted to humans and pets through both bites and scratches.
Here's how officials said residents should be protecting themselves and their pets:
- Ensure your pets receive regular rabies vaccinations. According to the National Association of State Health Veterinarians, unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid animal must be strictly quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month prior to being released.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rabies attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal in humans if left untreated.
- Keep your pets on your property, according to the Gwinnett County Health Department.
- Avoid leaving garbage or pet food outside; it may attract wild or stray animals.
- Report any animal acting unusually to Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement. Animals will normally act strange or move aggressively.
- Stay away from wild, sick, hurt or dead animals. Do not pick up or move sick or hurt animals.
- Do not keep wild animals like raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes as pets; it is dangerous and illegal, according to the health department.
- The health department also said residents should educate their children about the importance of not approaching, teasing or playing with wild animals or strange dogs and cats.
If you or someone you know has been bit by a rabid animal, Gwinnett County officials urge residents to seek care.
Residents should immediately call and inform the healthcare provider of their exposure. Then, they should contact the Gwinnett County Health Department at 770-339-4260 and ask for the on-call epidemiologist.
To report the animal and have it picked up, please call the Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement Bite Office at 770-339-3200 ext. 5576; for after-hours assistance, contact non-emergency Dispatch at 770-513-5700.