DACULA, Ga. - Gwinnett County authorities are cautioning residents to exercise vigilance and avoid interacting with animals displaying unusual behavior after a rabid raccoon bit a two-year-old child in the 2200 block of Brooks Road in Dacula on Friday. The raccoon later tested positive for rabies.
Health officials emphasize that rabies can be transmitted to humans and pets through bites or scratches from wild animals, including foxes and raccoons.
This is not the first time an animal with rabies has attacked a person in that area. At the end of May, a cat attacked a person along Luke Edwards Road, about a mile northwest of this most recent incident.
Less than two weeks later, a second person was attacked by a rabid cat along Barker Station Walk NE, about 16 miles northwest of the incident in May.
In July, officials say a kitten tested positive for rabies in the Lawrenceville area.
Later that same month, a rabid beaver attacked a swimmer along Lake Lanier.
Carroll County also has had several cases including a rabid fox with bit three people in two months and Forsyth County recently reported at least one dog was exposed to a rabid raccoon.
Pet owners are urged to ensure their animals are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations. If unvaccinated pets are exposed to a rabid animal, they must be strictly quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month before release, as per guidelines from the National Association of State Health Veterinarians.
The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system and is nearly always fatal in humans if untreated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early symptoms of rabies in people include fever, headache, and weakness.
Authorities provided the following tips to protect oneself and family from rabies:
- Ensure pets receive regular rabies vaccinations.
- Keep pets on your property.
- Avoid leaving garbage or pet food outside, as it may attract wild or stray animals.
- Report any animals acting unusually to Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement, especially if they display strange or aggressive behavior, avoid food and water, foam at the mouth, or move in a stiff, odd manner.
- Steer clear of wild, sick, hurt, or dead animals, and do not attempt to pick them up or move them.
- Refrain from keeping wild animals like raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes as pets, as it is both dangerous and illegal.
- Educate children about the importance of avoiding contact with wild animals or unfamiliar dogs and cats.
In case of a bite or scratch from a stray or suspected rabid animal, immediate preventive treatment is crucial. The public is advised to seek medical care promptly and inform healthcare providers of the exposure. Additionally, residents are asked to contact the Gwinnett County Health Department at 770-339-4260 and request the on-call epidemiologist.
To report any rabid animal and have it safely collected, individuals can call the Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement Bite Office at 770-339-3200 ext. 5576. For after-hours assistance, they should reach out to non-emergency Dispatch at 770-513-5700.