Positive case of rabies found in raccoon in Tuscarawas County

Positive case of rabies found in raccoon in Tuscarawas County
File

Common signs that a raccoon or other wild animal has rabies include agitation, disorientation, excessively drooling, wobbling when walking, and biting or snapping at people or objects.

                        

The Tuscarawas County Health Department received a call on July 11 from a concerned citizen regarding a deceased raccoon who had previously exhibited erratic behavior. The animal was collected by the health department at its deceased location near Echo Lake Road in Warren Township near Goshen Township.

The TCHD was notified on Aug. 1 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture that the raccoon has been confirmed positive with raccoon rabies variant. This is the first confirmed case of raccoon rabies variant reported in Tuscarawas County to date. This case signifies an immediate and potential threat of raccoon rabies to new areas of Eastern and Central Ohio.

RRV is a strain of rabies found in the Eastern United States and has recently been identified in areas of Stark County.

Common signs that a raccoon or other wild animal has rabies include agitation, disorientation, excessively drooling, wobbling when walking, and biting or snapping at people or objects.

TCHD will continue to work with the ODA to perform enhanced surveillance sample collections near the areas where the rabid raccoon was found.

Residents are asked to report any raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes or bobcats displaying strange behavior found in Warren or Goshen Township and surrounding areas to TCHD by calling 330-343-5550 or emailing director@tchdnow.org.

Dover is allowing ODA to set up live traps along the Tuscarawas River for two weeks to determine if a strain of rabies is spreading.

No prior cases have been identified in Tuscarawas County. If established, this strain could lead to a dramatic increase in rabies exposure to people and pets. To protect Ohioans and their domestic animals, TCHD is partnering with ODA, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and Wildlife Service to determine the best response.

TCHD conducted two low-cost rabies vaccine clinics for dogs and cats in June. TCHD will be planning another low-cost clinic in the near future.

Visit www.tchdnow.org or follow TCHD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tchdnow for date and location confirmation once they are determined.

If you have questions regarding the recent raccoon positive case or about rabies in general, call TCHD at 330-343-5550 or the ODA Zoonotic Disease program at 614-752-1029 or email dierctor@tchdnow.org or zoonoses@odh.ohio.gov.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load