The New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that a raccoon removed from a Gloucester Township neighborhood last week had rabies, Camden County officials said Wednesday afternoon.
A Gloucester Township resident reported the raccoon to authorities on April 25 after the person’s dog encountered the animal, authorities said.
The township animal control officer was able to remove the raccoon and send it to the state public health and environmental laboratories in Trenton for testing, county officials said. The lab confirmed this week that the raccoon was rabid, officials said.
No human exposure has been reported, but the dog has received a rabies booster and will be subject to a strict four-month quarantine, according to authorities.
Health bulletins were distributed in the area where the raccoon was found, officials said.
“Although rabies is a serious illness, it is preventable with early treatment,” said Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Camden County Health Department. “If you have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal, it is important that you seek medical attention immediately.”
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