Rabid raccoons in Carteret, Far Hills

• Never touch or feed a wild animal because if may be infected with rabies
• New Jersey averages nearly 300 animal rabies cases a year

Health officials are warning residents that raccoons in Carteret and Far Hills have tested positive for rabies.

In Carteret, the raccoon was found in the area of Tyler Avenue and Oak Street. It is the first rabid animal found in Carteret this year, and the 12th in Middlesex County, according to the Middlesex County Office of Health Services.

The raccoon was found to be acting strange and aggressively Nov. 21 in a Carteret resident's yard where the owner's dog and raccoon began to fight. The raccoon was killed and was sent to the New Jersey Department of Health Laboratory for testing, On Tuesday, the animal tested positive for rabies. The two dogs at the home have been placed on 45-day quarantines.

A raccoon found in the area of Sherwood Farm Road in Far Hills also has tested positive for rabies. According to the Somerset County Department of Health, on or around Nov. 17, a dog got in a scuffle with a raccoon and had the raccoon in its mouth. The raccoon was tested at the state lab and was confirmed positive for rabies. The dog had a current rabies vaccination, but the owner has been asked to confine the dog for 45 days as a precaution. Three other dogs in the home will receive rabies boosters.

Rabies is caused by a virus that can infect all warm-blooded mammals, including man. The rabies virus is found in the saliva of a rabid animal and is transmitted by a bite, or possibly by contamination of an open cut. New Jersey is enzootic for raccoon and bat variants of rabies. Bats, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, foxes, cats and dogs represent about 95 percent of animals diagnosed with rabies in the United States.

“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.”

Far Hills residents who see an animal acting strangely should call the Police Department at 908-234-1192.

According to the New Jersey State Department of Health, there are about 280 animal rabies cases each year. Suburban areas in which raccoons, people and pets are in close proximity have the highest number of cases. From 1989 through 2010, more than 6,000 New Jersey animals were confirmed to have rabies, 77 percent of which were raccoons.

Residents are advised to immediately report a bite from a wild or domestic animal to the local health department. Wash animal-bite wounds thoroughly with soap and water as soon as possible after the bite. Contamination of open cuts or scratches with saliva of potentially rabid animals should also be washed off immediately. Consult a physician as soon as possible.

Residents also should report any wild animal displaying unusual behavior.

In Middlesex County, additional  information can be obtained by calling an Inspection Division supervisor for Middlesex County Public Health Department at 732-745-3100.

Additional information on rabies also may be obtained at the New Jersey Department of Health website at www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/faq/rabies_faq.pdf.

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com