WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. () — For the first time in more than 60 years, L.A. County has recorded a suspected case of rabies in a raccoon.
When the raccoon was found in a backyard in Westlake Village, it appeared to be sick but not aggressive toward people, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
The raccoon is now under quarantine and test results are pending.
Four people at a nearby worksite may have been exposed to the raccoon and are receiving a recommended follow-up for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, a series of timely vaccines.
A dog may have also been exposed, but is up to date on its rabies vaccine, according to the Department of Public Health.
The last confirmed rabid raccoon in L.A. County was detected in 1973. In that case, the raccoon had the skunk variant (strain) of the disease. That particular strain has not been detected in the county since 1979.
The last non-bat animal confirmed to have rabies in the county was a skunk infected with the bat variant of rabies in Long Beach in 2014.
The rabies variant the Westlake Village raccoon is infected with has yet to be determined, though health officials believe it likely came from a bat.
So far this year, there have been a record-breaking 70 rabid bats confirmed in Los Angeles County.
Health officials are reminding the public: Never touch a wild animal, and make sure your pets are vaccinated.
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