Ridgewood, New Jersey, is dealing with the fallout from two raccoon bites reported hours apart. The incidents sent a child and an adult for preventive rabies care and led officials to weigh an uncommon tactic: distributing oral vaccine bait for wild animals.
What happened?
WABC reported that one victim was an adult bitten on private property, after a 7-year-old boy had been attacked around 7 p.m. the day before near Maple Field & Community Garden and bitten on the upper leg.
WABC said the cases were reported close together in time, fueling concern that a raccoon in the area could be sick or acting abnormally. Both people received rabies treatment as a precaution.
So far, Animal Control officers searching the area have not found evidence of the raccoon. Residents are being asked to contact the Ridgewood Police Department if they see an animal that appears sick, injured, or unusually aggressive.
Why does it matter?
Rabies is rare in humans in the United States, but once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal. Any bite from a potentially infected wild animal is a serious public health concern, particularly in places where children and pets may be nearby…