A second rabid raccoon was recently found in College Park

College Park, MD. – For the second time in less than a month, a rabid raccoon has been captured in College Park.

Officials said the latest raccoon to be diagnosed with rabies was seen sick and weak on April 23 in the 9500 block of 50th Place between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The animal was caught. Anyone who came into contact with the animal between April 13 and 23 is asked to contact the Prince George’s County Health Department at 301-583-3751 or 240-508-5774 on holidays or weekends immediately after 4:30 p.m.

“We take this issue seriously and are working with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and College Park Animal Services to assess the raccoon population in the area. Rabies is a life-threatening disease that requires immediate treatment after exposure. Prince George’s County Health Officer Dr. “Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite or scratch,” said Matthew D. Levy. The best way to prevent exposure to rabies is to avoid contact with unfamiliar animals and make sure pets are vaccinated against rabies. Community members should report unusual animal behavior. and avoid handling or feeding animals that are not known in their community.

On April 11, a rabid raccoon was captured in the 5200 block of Iroquois Street in College Park.

To prevent exposure to rabies:

Do not approach, handle, or feed stray dogs and cats, and do not enforce or follow leash laws.

Teach your children to stay away from unfamiliar animals and pets.

Vaccinating dogs, cats and horses against rabies and keeping vaccination up to date.

Do not leave pets unattended or allow them to roam freely.

Cover garbage cans well and don’t leave pets outside; This can attract wild and stray animals.

Wear gloves when handling an animal that has been fighting with another animal. Keep away from people and other animals and call your veterinarian or local health department to report animal exposure.

Use window screens and exhaust hoods to keep bats out of your home, and seal openings larger than ¼ inch by ½ inch. If possible, bats found indoors should be carefully collected and tested for rabies.

If you are bitten or exposed by an animal, you should take the following steps:

If it is a wild animal, try to trap it if you can safely do so. If the animal must be killed, try not to injure the head.

If it is an owned animal, get the name, address and phone number of the animal’s owner.

Report exposures to your local animal control agency, health department or police.

Wash the wound immediately with soap and water; If there is, use an antiseptic to wash the wound.

Get immediate medical attention.

Consider treatment if a bat is present and exposure cannot be reasonably avoided (eg, when a sleeping person wakes up to find a bat in the room or an adult sees a child in a room with an unsupervised child, an intellectually disabled person, or an intoxicated person).

To learn more about rabies in Maryland, including rabies surveillance statistics and efforts to prevent and control the disease, please visit MDH website .