Community Corner

Rabies Alert: Raccoons Test Positive Near North Hills Area

Three dogs were exposed to raccoons that tested positive for rabies.

Two raccoons have tested positive for rabies in the the nearby Sewickley Valley area, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.

Guillermo Cole, health department spokesman, said the raccoons were recently tested after one fought with a dog in the Park Lane area of Glen Osborne. The other was killed by a pair of dogs in a yard on Redgate Road in Aleppo.

No humans were exposed, and Cole said all three dogs were up to date on their rabies vaccines. The dogs are being quarantined to their homes and observed for three months as a precaution, he said. 

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"These incidents are a reminder to pet owners," Cole said, "to make sure their pets rabies shots are up to date." 

The two raccoons are the fourth and fifth incidents of rabid animals reported in Allegheny County so far this year. Cole said there have been four raccoons and one cat. The deadly viral disease is usually spread through a bite from an infected animal. 

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Fortunately, he said the four cases involving raccoons had no human exposure just pets. In the case of the rabid cat, however, Cole said five people came in contact with the animal in January and all had to be treated with anti-rabies vaccine as a precaution. 

"Nobody got rabies. That's why we want humans who are exposed to be treated with vaccine because that will protect them and keep them from developing rabies," Cole said. "We don't want to see humans develop rabies because if they do, it's almost aways fatal." 

Pet owners can take precautions. If a raccoon or other wildlife approaches you or comes onto your property, Cole suggests staying away and contacting animal control, local police or the Pennsylvania Game Commission to deal with the animal. 

If you're scratched or exposed to saliva, Cole suggests washing the contact area with soap and water, seeking emergency medical treatment and reporting the bite to the health department's 24-hour hotline at 412-687-ACHD.

Keeping pets up to date on their rabies vaccines is also crucial. Pennsylvania law requires that all dogs and non-feral cats three months and older be vaccinated against rabies. 

Low-Cost Vaccine and Microchip Clinic

The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society is sponsoring a low-cost vaccination clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 5 at Larry’s Laundromutt in Edgeworth.

Canine and feline vaccines include $8 for the rabies vaccine and $15 to microchip your pet. Click here to learn more

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