Racoon Captured in Fredericksburg City Tests Positive for Rabies
There is a known exposure to a dog but no known exposures to humans.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele
A raccoon that was captured last week in the vicinity of the 900 block of Sylvania Avenue in Fredericksburg City has tested positive for rabies, the Rappahannock Area Health District (RAHD) announced.
A dog in the area was exposed to the racoon, but there are no known human exposures, the health district said.
“Rabies is a significant public health concern,” says David Rose, interim health director for the RAHD. “This exposure to a known positive animal serves as a reminder of the importance of keeping your pets vaccinated against rabies and avoiding contact with wild and stray animals, particularly those sick and injured.”
Rabies is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. The virus is found in the saliva and brain of infected animals and is often transmitted via bite. It can be deadly if not properly treated, so the health district advises that if you are bitten by a wild or stray animal, you should wash the wound(s) with warm, soapy water and contact your health provider and animal control.
Following are more rabies control tips from the health department:
Do not feed stray animals.
Avoid wild animals, especially raccoons, bats, foxes, and skunks.
Feed your pets indoors and do not let them wander.
Make sure your pets are vaccinated against rabies and their shots are up to date. By law, dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies.
Teach children to avoid contact with wild animals and pets they are not familiar with.
Do not handle sick, injured, or dead animals. If you see a wild animal that appears to be ill, injured or orphaned, contact your local animal control office for guidance.
Keep wild animals out of homes by capping chimneys with screens and blocking openings in attics, cellars and porches.
Ensure trash cans have tight fitting lids.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.
Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism
The FXBG Advance cuts through the talking points to deliver both incisive and informative news about the issues, people, and organizations that daily affect your life. And we do it in a multi-partisan format that has no equal in this region. Over the past year, our reporting was:
First to break the story of Stafford Board of Supervisors dismissing a citizen library board member for “misconduct,” without informing the citizen or explaining what the person allegedly did wrong.
First to explain falling water levels in the Rappahannock Canal.
First to detail controversial traffic numbers submitted by Stafford staff on the Buc-ee’s project
Our media group also offers the most-extensive election coverage in the region and regular columnists like:
And our newsroom is led by the most-experienced and most-awarded journalists in the region — Adele Uphaus (Managing Editor and multiple VPA award-winner) and Martin Davis (Editor-in-Chief, 2022 Opinion Writer of the Year in Virginia and more than 25 years reporting from around the country and the world).
For just $8 a month, you can help support top-flight journalism that puts people over policies.
Your contributions 100% support our journalists.
Help us as we continue to grow!
This article is published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. It can be distributed for noncommercial purposes and must include the following: “Published with permission by FXBG Advance.”
The distinction between known dog exposure vs no human exposure is key public health communication. Local reporting like this about wildlife disease surveliance is underrated for building community awareness. Growing up in an area with rabies prevalence, I remember how one confirmed case like this would get everyone checking their pet's vaccination records even if they lived miles away. Simple prevention messaging works when tied to a conrete local incident.