Rabid raccoon found in Autauga County
A raccoon in Autauga County has been confirmed to have rabies, state health officials say. It was found in the same area where a kitten was confirmed to have rabies about five months ago.The Alabama Department of Public Health has confirmed that the raccoon in Autauga County tested positive for rabies on Thursday. A property owner in the general vicinity of Highway 82 and County Road 40 noticed the raccoon acting strangely near the old Henderson grocery store.
In December 2023, a kitten in this same general area of Autauga County tested positive for rabies following an encounter with a positive raccoon. This area of Autauga County has seen an increase in rabies cases and is under enhanced surveillance by the USDA National Rabies Management Team.
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. In the United States, rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. However, in many other countries dogs still carry rabies, and most rabies deaths in people around the world are caused by dog bites.
-- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“I am proud of ADPH’s assistance to our federal partners in supporting the efforts to reduce rabies in raccoons in Alabama with increased surveillance,” said Dr. Dee W. Jones, state public health veterinarian "The awareness of the landowner in this case helps us continue to monitor potential rabies cases in the area and reduce the risks to domestic animals.”
Vaccinating animals against rabies is the primary way to reduce risks to pets and livestock, Jones said. He also reminds the public that ADPH can help facilitate testing of any animal in the area that is suspected of having rabies.
Alabama state law requires that dogs, cats and ferrets 12 weeks of age and older be current with rabies vaccination. The first rabies vaccination is only good for one year, regardless of which vaccine a pet receives. Vaccinating animals reduces the risk of rabies infection should an exposure occur; thus, vaccinations help protect animals, as well as their owners and caretakers.
On Saturday the county rabies officer for Autauga County, Dr. Allison Trotter, will be hosting reduced-cost rabies clinics at the following locations:
Billingsley Junction (8 a.m. – 9 a.m.)
Marbury Middle School (8 a.m. – 9 a.m.)
Vida (9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.)
White City (9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
Booth Fire Department (10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
Posey’s Crossroads (11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
Prattville Farm Center (12 p.m. – 1 p.m.)
Prattville Elementary School (1 p.m. – 2 p.m.)
The fee is $12 per animal. Please keep all dogs on leashes and all cats in boxes when attending one of these clinics.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Rabid raccoon found in Autauga County
