Health officials are looking for the individuals who found a rabid raccoon Sunday around Forge Road in James City County.
The raccoon was found alive in the road by people who took it to James City Fire Station One in Toano. The raccoon later died and was tested for rabies.
The Health Department is asking for assistance in finding the people who picked up the raccoon, as they will need to contact the Peninsula Health District about their contact with the rabid animal.
The local office of Environmental Health Services will be contacting any homeowner’s association or immediate neighbors about the raccoon.
Anyone who was exposed to the animal or had pets exposed to it should contact the Williamsburg Environmental Health Office at 757-601-4277. After normal business hours, the James City County/Williamsburg Animal Control should be contacted at 757-253-1800.
Rabies is a fatal disease but is preventable. It is carried by mammals and has been on the Peninsula since the mid-1980s. To prevent rabies, owners should have pets vaccinated, report any animal rabies exposures to their doctor and the local health department, and not feed wild animals.
