SNOW HILL – The Worcester County Health Department confirmed a raccoon that was dropped off at a nature center last week has tested positive for rabies.
On Aug. 28, an unidentified man brought a sick raccoon in a box to the Nature Center at the Pocomoke River State Park at Shad Landing in Snow Hill.
Due to the ill appearance and condition of the raccoon, the Worcester County Health Department was notified, and the raccoon was sent for rabies testing. The raccoon tested positive for rabies.
“The racoon wasn’t moving around, and I don’t think the gentleman suspected the animal had rabies,” said Angela Richardson of the Worcester County Health Department’s Environmental Health program. “I think he thought something else was going on and that the nature center could help.”
After the raccoon tested positive for rabies, the health department late last week began asking for assistance in identifying the man who had brought in the raccoon so that exposure to the rabid raccoon could be assessed.
“If a person has been bitten or scratched by a rabid animal, post-exposure treatment is necessary to prevent the development of rabies,” a statement from the health department reads. “If not treated, rabies is fatal.”
In an interview this week, Richardson confirmed the man has since been identified as a nearby resident.
“He was identified from our Facebook post, and we were able to make contact through a family member,” she said.
Richardson noted that those living in the area where the raccoon was located will be notified of the confirmed rabies case.
“A rabies advisory will be sent out in the coming days,” she said.
Richardson urged community members to report any wild animals behaving in a threatening or sick manner to the police department or Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.
“That way we can hopefully obtain the animal for testing,” she said. “If they see anything, it’s best to call it in so we can see what’s happening and make a decision.”
While raccoons make up the majority of confirmed rabid animals in Worcester County, other species are also infected. The most frequent domestic animals to contract rabies are cats, according to the health department.
If a pet has had contact with a suspected rabid animal, pet owners should not touch the pet barehanded. If contact has occurred, call the health department for further instructions.
Maryland and Worcester County laws require current rabies vaccinations for all cats, dogs and ferrets four months and older.
Richardson noted that the Worcester County Health Department – in partnership with Worcester County Animal Control – will offer two rabies clinics in October.
The first clinic will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Showell Fire Hall, while the second will take place on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Stockton Fire Hall.
The cost is $5 per pet for Worcester County residents with proof of residency and $10 per pet for non-residents.
Dogs must be on leashes and under the control of an adult. Cats and ferrets must be in carriers with air holes. In order to receive a three-year booster shot, you must bring your pet’s previous vaccination certificate.
For more information, call 410-632-1340 or 410-641-9559.
“It is extremely important to keep pets’ rabies vaccinations current …,” Richardson said. “If they have any exposure, they have a better outcome.”
In addition to the raccoon in Snow Hill, officials also confirmed a raccoon in Pocomoke had rabies last week. As of Wednesday, there have been 15 laboratory confirmed cases of rabies in Worcester County this year.
Richardson said she expects the number of rabies cases to increase in the coming weeks.
“We tend to have more rabies cases in the fall,” she said. “We just never know what’s going to happen.”
For more information about rabies, or for a list of recent cases, visit the health department’s website at www.worcesterhealth.org.
