Los Angeles County documents first rabid raccoon in over 50 years

County logs record 69 rabid bats this year, officials say

Los Angeles County’s department of public health announced this week that four people and a dog may have been exposed to a rabid raccoon at a backyard work site in the city of Westlake Village. The raccoon appeared in ill health but was not aggressive, the department said. The case is the county’s first documented rabid raccoon in more than 50 years.

Rabies spreads through a bite or scratch from an infected animal. It kills tens of thousands of people each year, mostly in Africa and Asia, and is almost completely fatal once symptoms appear. The United States sees fewer than 10 deaths annually “due to robust prevention efforts,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health officials told residents to “always keep a safe distance from wildlife and contact your local animal control if you encounter an animal that appears sick, injured, or is behaving unusually” and to ensure pets are up to date on their vaccines.

“The detection of rabies in a raccoon is an important reminder to never touch, handle, or feed any wild animals, even when they appear healthy,” said Dr Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County health officer.

The four people possibly exposed were receiving follow-up care, which includes a series of vaccines. The dog was up to date on its rabies vaccine and is “doing well” under quarantine, according to the health department.

It is not yet known which rabies variant infected the raccoon, although officials believe it was probably rabies from a bat. The county has not had a documented case of a rabid raccoon since 1973, and the last known animal aside from bats to have rabies was a skunk in 2014.

This year the county has seen the highest number of rabid bats it has ever recorded, the public health department said last week, with 69 documented cases. The sick animals have been found in every part of the county, and nearly a third of all bats submitted for rabies testing were infected.

“Rabid bat detections can vary year-to-year, but Los Angeles county has seen a steady upward trend for more than a decade,” the public health department said.