By Los Angeles County health officials are urging residents to exercise extreme caution after a second rabies positive raccoon was discovered in the Westlake Village area. This latest find follows an earlier discovery in early October, marking a worrying trend for a region that had not seen a rabid raccoon since 1973. The most recent animal was found behaving aggressively in a backyard near where the first case occurred, and two workers at a nearby site are currently receiving medical follow up care due to potential exposure.
Dr. Muntu Davis, the county health officer, emphasized that these incidents serve as a critical reminder to avoid all contact with wildlife, regardless of whether an animal looks healthy or sick. While testing is still underway to determine the specific strain of the virus in this second raccoon, the previous case involved a variant typically associated with bats. This shift is particularly notable given that non bat animals have rarely tested positive for rabies in the county over the last several decades.
The surge comes amid a record breaking year for rabid bat detections across Los Angeles County, which has already confirmed seventy seven cases this season. Because rabies is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear in humans or animals, officials are stressing the importance of immediate post exposure prophylaxis if someone is bitten by a wild mammal. They recommend seeking medical attention instantly and reporting any encounters with sick wildlife to local animal control authorities.
To minimize risks, public health experts suggest taking simple preventative measures around the home such as securing trash cans with tight lids and sealing off crawl spaces where animals might nest. Residents are also strongly encouraged to keep their pets current on vaccinations, including indoor cats and older animals, to create a protective barrier between domestic pets and potentially infected wildlife roaming the neighborhood.
