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5th wild animal confirmed with rabies in Allegheny County

PITTSBURGH — The Allegheny County Health Department in reminding people to avoid contact with wild animals after a fifth animal tested positive for rabies in the county.

The Health Department advised residents in Marshall Township on Wednesday about a raccoon found under a house in the 2000 block of Warrendale Bayne Road.

So far this year, two bats and three raccoons have been reported as testing positive for rabies.

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Rabies is a virus transmitted by an animal bite or scratch. It is almost always fatal when exposures are left untreated.

The Health Department said rabies vaccine is highly effective when given promptly after an exposure, but is still a major expense and inconvenience that can be avoided.

“Well-intentioned efforts by individuals sometime can result in unnecessary exposure to pathogens like the rabies virus,” Health Department director, Dr. Karen Hacker said in a press release. “We strongly advise Baden residents to stay away from wild or stray animals, especially in the area where the rabid raccoon was, and if animals appear to be acting strange or become threatening, call your local animal control service, the police or the Pennsylvania Game Commission.”

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Anyone who is bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to saliva from a stray or any other animal, should immediately cleanse the contact area with soap and water, seek emergency medical treatment and call the Allegheny County Health Department, 412-687-ACHD (2243), to report the incident.

Residents should have their pets vaccinated, and watch for unusual behavior. The best prevention is to avoid stray animals, wild animals or those acting strangely as they can be potentially rabid.

Glenn Holler, who lives with his wife along the road where the raccoon was found, said there are all types of wildlife in their Marshall Township neighborhood.

"We have raccoons all the time in the birdfeeders and everything,” Holler said. “Raccoons, fox, you know, and everything else, and then the coyotes, too.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent report, raccoons (30.2 percent) are the most frequently reported rabid wildlife species. Followed by bats (29.1 percent), skunks (26.2 percent) and foxes (4.1 percent).