A raccoon found close to an Interstate 64 on-ramp coming from Busch Gardens has tested positive for rabies, health officials said.
The raccoon was found near the I-64 on-ramp that leads eastbound from Busch Gardens toward Hampton, according to a Peninsula Health District news release.
The local office of Environmental Health Services is working to contact the residents near where the raccoon was found, as well as any civic or homeowner’s association that serves that area, the release said.
The release asks anyone who has come into contact with the raccoon – by bite, scratch or contact with saliva by open wound or eyes, nose or mouth – to immediately contact the Health Department at 757-603-4277.
If pets have come into contact with the raccoon, the owners should call the Health Department or James City County Animal Control at 757-253-1800, the release said.
To prevent rabies, the health district recommends vaccinating pets, reporting all bites and scratches to a doctor and health department, and don’t feed or approach wild animals.
