SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. — A raccoon tested positive for rabies after biting a woman, county officials said.
The raccoon bit the woman after she discovered her dog fighting with it July 11 on Vaughn Road, said Kelly Wilson, Spalding County’s environmental health manager.
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The county health department said it was the second reported case of rabies in the county this year. A stray cat that scratched a woman in June on West Cherry Street in Griffin also tested positive.
The Georgia Department of Public Health Laboratory confirmed the raccoon’s positive test for rabies.
Residents are urged to take precautions to protect themselves and their pets from rabies. Health officials advise avoiding unfamiliar animals and ensuring pets’ rabies vaccinations are current.
Georgia law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to have a current rabies vaccination.
Rabies is a serious viral disease that affects the central nervous system of mammals, including humans. It is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
Animal bites or scratches should be promptly reported to Animal Control or the Spalding County Environmental Health Office at 770-467-4230.
For more information on rabies prevention and safety measures, people can visit the Spalding County Health Department’s website.
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