A possibly rabid raccoon was captured Monday at Arcola and Ventura avenues in Silver Spring after biting two people, according to a statement from the Montgomery County police and Office of Animal Services.
If anyone or any pets have had contact with the raccoon, the animal services office and police encourage the public to seek immediate medical attention and call the office at 240-773-5925, the statement said.
According to a Monday post social media post from Office of Animal Services Executive Director Caroline Hairfield, the office received a report on Monday of a raccoon biting two people on the 1800 block of Franwall Avenue. The area is in a neighborhood, near Arcola Elementary School and Sligo Creek Trail.
“Officials are concerned that the animal may be infected with rabies, a deadly viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is transmissible to humans and animals through bites or saliva,” the statement said.
Hairfield and police announced Monday night on social media that the raccoon had been captured.
Hairfield’s statement discouraged contact with wild raccoons or other wild animals and encouraged the public to check if their pets’ rabies vaccine is up to date.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies primarily impacts the central nervous system and is almost always fatal if treatment isn’t received before symptoms start. Immediate medical attention following a suspected rabies exposure is key, according to the CDC, and includes a series of four to five rabies vaccines.
In order to diagnose an animal with rabies, the animal must be euthanized and samples of the brain submitted for testing, according to the CDC.
