32 animals tested positive for rabies in Frederick County in 2023

FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. ( DC News Now ) — The Frederick County Health Department (FCHD) said a total of 32 animals tested positive for rabies last year.

Among the most common animals to have rabies in Frederick County and Maryland were racoons, according to FCHD.

Last year, 13 racoons and 13 skunks tested positive for rabies. Other animals included three foxes, one bat, a horse and an otter.

FCHD gave these tips about you should know about rabies:

• Rabies is a viral disease that mainly infects mammals.
• Rabies is spread through the saliva of an infected animal, generally through a bite or scratch exposure. Other possible exposures include getting infected saliva from a rabid animal into an open wound or in the eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Rabies is not spread by petting a rabid animal or contact with blood, urine, feces or skunk spray.
• Rabies signs in animals can include unusually friendly or aggressive behavior, excessive salivation, limping, and/or other atypical behaviors.
• Rabies is nearly always fatal in humans once symptoms develop.
• Rabies can be prevented in humans with appropriate post-exposure treatment.

What you can do to stay safe:

• Observe wildlife from a distance and do not touch wild animals.
• Keep outdoor cat and dog food in areas that wildlife cannot access.
• Get medical attention for any scratches or bites from unknown animals and report to animal control.

For more information, click here .

To view a map and table FCHD created of the rabid animal data from 2017 to 2023, click here .

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