The first rabid animal of 2021 — a raccoon — has been reported in Allegheny County, according to the health department.
The raccoon was found in Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood earlier this month. Health department officials said the animal was being treated for mange by a rescue group when it showed symptoms consistent with rabies. The rescue group took in the animal after a resident contacted them.
A positive test for rabies was announced Friday.
No one was exposed to the animal, according to health department officials.
There were 20 animals in Allegheny County that tested positive for the fatal virus in 2020: eight bats, seven raccoons, four cats and a groundhog, according to health department statistics.
Statewide, there were 347 animals — the majority being raccoons, followed by cats, bats and skunks — that tested positive for rabies in 2017, the most recent report available from the department of health. The annual statewide average is 392 animals testing positive.
Rabies attacks the central nervous system and can produce symptoms such as aggression, excessive drooling and staggering in animals, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
It can be passed to humans and other animals through a bite or scratch from an infected creature. The last diagnosed human case in Pennsylvania was in 1984, according to the department of health. Pets can be protected through rabies vaccinations.
Human symptoms include irritability, fatigue, itching at the bite or scratch wound and paralysis. Treatment should begin immediately after a potential infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
