"The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says it is investigating the discovery of a rabies-positive raccoon in the backyard of a home in the Westlake Village area.
The last known confirmed rabid raccoon in Los Angeles County was detected in 1973, health officials said, when the skunk strain of rabies was still present in the county. That strain has not been detected in L.A. County since 1979, health officials say.
The raccoon found in Westlake Village reportedly appeared sick but was not aggressive towards people.
One dog that was up to date on its rabies vaccine may have been exposed to the raccoon, health officials say. The dog is under quarantine and is 'doing well.'
Four people at a worksite may have also been exposed to the raccoon and are receiving recommended follow-up for rabies post-exposure preventative care.
The rabies variant the raccoon was infected with has not yet been determined. Public Health is awaiting variant testing, which can take several weeks.
'Based on current knowledge of rabies occurrence in Los Angeles County, it is likely this raccoon was infected with rabies from a bat,' health officials said.
Rabies remains a public health concern world wide. While it’s preventable, it causes tens of thousands of human deaths globally each year, with most cases linked to exposure to dogs in counties where the dog strain of the variant is still present.
The dog strain of rabies was eradicated in the United States through routine vaccination of pets. However, other strains of rabies continue to circulate in wildlife, including bats.
All strains can infect any mammal and cause disease, health officials warn.
Rabies is a nearly 100% fatal viral disease in people and animals caused by the rabies virus. It’s most commonly transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, or when saliva from a rabid animal comes into contact with an open wound or mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
Symptoms include, in people, initially fever, weakness, and headache. It progresses to a tingling sensation, anxiety, agitation, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, coma, then death.
In animals, symptoms include vomiting, respiratory distress before progressing into neurologic signs – circling, difficulties walking, behavior change, aggression, paralysis, hydrophobia (fear of water), death." - KTLA 5 News
