Crime & Safety
Rabid Raccoon Attacked Nursery School Child in North Jersey
Animal tested positive at state lab, child undergoing preventative treatment, officials said.
A young girl was attacked by a rabid raccoon outside a nursery school last week in Franklin Township in Somerset County, and authorities are warning residents to be vigilant.
On or about Nov. 6, the young girl was leaving nursery school when she was attacked and scratched by a raccoon, Somerset County Department of Health officials announced.
Franklin Township Animal Control sent the raccoon to a public health laboratory at the New Jersey State Department of Health where it was tested and had a positive result of rabies, officials said.
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The child is undergoing preventative treatment for the disease, officials said.
Officials are warning that any residents who see an animal acting strangely to call their local animal control department or police department.
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“If you are bitten or attacked by an animal, do not delay in reporting it to the health authorities,” said Somerset County Health Officer Dr. Paul Masaba. “Rabies is a serious illness that can be fatal in humans without treatment.”
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