Rabid Raccoon in NE Ohio

Not too far from my home in Lake County, a rabid raccoon was captured after attacking a family pet. Four people in the Szuhay family had to be vaccinated as a precaution. Other animals are undergoing testing at present and state and county health officials are initiating a program to drop vaccine-treated fishmeal bait from planes to immunize other wildlife from the rabies virus. According to this report,

The disease is almost always fatal in people and animals.

This case has officials worried because the virus in raccoons has not been found before so far west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, although rabies is discovered in a few Lake County bats each year.

Officials anticipate that more rabies cases will be found this year.