Two racoons with confirmed cases of rabies were sited near University grounds on Oct. 2 and 3, according to an Oct. 10 University-wide memo from Dean of Students Rob Hradsky.
Both of the animals have been captured. One was found next to campus on Massachusetts Ave., NW and the other was found in the 3100 block of Olive Street, NW, according to the memo.
Rabies is a fatal virus that attacks the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals and results in convulsions, paralysis and then death, according a brochure from the D.C. Department of Health attached to the email.
Some students were near a potentially rabid raccoon on the walkway in front of Hughes Hall last week, said Eve Young, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. D.C. Department of Health that advises immediate medical attention for all residents who are bitten, scratched or have had any contact with a wild animal.
Young and her roommate Amanda Spencer, a sophomore in the School of Communication and School of Public Affairs, encountered the racoon on a sunny day barely before dusk, Young said.
According to the U.S. Humane Society’s website, rabid raccoons typically:
- Have an awkward staggering walking pattern
- Are not afraid by loud noises
- Have a body fluid discharge from the eyes and mouth
Raccoons are not strictly nocturnal, night-dwelling animals, but they should not be approached, according to the U.S. Humane Society’s website.
The virus can be contracted by any warm-blooded animal including cats and dog, but is not often found in mice or squirrels, according D.C. Department of Health brochure. Birds and insects cannot contract the virus.
Potentially rabid animals should be immediately reported to D.C. Animal Care and Control at (202)-576-6664, according to the memo.
shogan@theeagleonline.com
