Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement and the Gwinnett County Health Department are advising residents to be cautious and avoid interacting with animals behaving unusually after a raccoon in the Lawrenceville area tested positive for the rabies virus.
A rabid raccoon reportedly bit a canine February 8 near the 1900 block of Stone Forest Drive.
Rabies can be transmitted to both humans and pets through bites or scratches from wild animals such as foxes and raccoons.
All pet owners were advised in a press release from the county to ensure that their pets are currently on rabies vaccinations.
According to the National Association of State Health Veterinarians, unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid animal must be strictly quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month prior to being released.
The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal in humans if untreated. Early symptoms of rabies in people include fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort, According to the Center for Disease Control. .
The county urged that anyone that was recently bitten or scratched by a wild or suspected rabid animal should immediately seek medical treatment and inform their healthcare provider of the exposure. Those who may have been exposed to the disease were also asked to contact the Gwinnett County Health Department at 770-339-4260 and ask for the on-call epidemiologist.
To report the animal and have it picked up, call the Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement Bite Office at 770-339-3200 ext. 5576; for after-hours assistance, contact non-emergency Dispatch at 770-513-5700.
