On Aug. 19, a raccoon tested positive for rabies in the area of Steele Drive in Tyaskin. The Wicomico County Health Department is advising all residents to be aware of their surroundings and avoid contact with all wild or stray animals.
This comes after series of beaver attacks has occurred in other parts of Maryland over the summer.
Here's more on what to protect yourself from rabies, plus more on those beaver incidents in Maryland.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease that exists in the saliva of mammals and is transmitted from animal to animal or from animal to human by biting and/or scratching. The virus can also be spread by licking, when infected saliva makes contact with open cuts or wounds, and with the mouth, eyes, and nose. If left untreated in humans and animals, rabies is fatal.
Please keep the following tips in mind to protect your family and your pets:
Avoid all contact with wild or stray animals
Teach children to leave unfamiliar animals alone
Vaccinate pets-Maryland law requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets, 4 months of age and older have a current rabies vaccination.
Avoid feeding or watering pets outside
To report human or animal contact, such as bites or scratches, call the Wicomico County Health Department at (410) 546-4446. For more information on rabies or rabies vaccination clinics, visit www.wicomicohealth.org, or follow WicomicoHealth on Facebook and Instagram.
A news release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources states that Seneca Creek State Park staff received a report of a beaver that attacked and bit a 10-year-old girl who was swimming and wading in a creek on park property on Aug. 13.
The attack occurred around 3:30 p.m. while the child was attending summer camp close to the Potomac River. After the beaver bit the child, counselors intervened and the animal escaped into the water. Family members transported the child to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, due to laceration wounds on her upper leg, the news release states.
On Aug. 5, a 19-year-old fisherman was attacked by a beaver at Cunningham Falls State Park, more than 36 miles from the Aug. 13 attack, according to an earlier news release.
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The 19-year-old sustained a bite to the ankle and transported himself to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, Maryland, for treatment. At the hospital, the man received treatment for rabies exposure and a tetanus shot. The beaver was caught, euthanized and tested positive for rabies.
On July 26, a beaver attacked a 13-year-old swimmer. In that incident, the beaver was also caught, euthanized and tested positive for rabies on July 27.
Last week's incident is not related to the earlier attacks, authorities said, due to the distance between the two parks, the beavers' home ranges and their social behaviors.
Data from state health departments show there's no indication of a rabies outbreak in Frederick or Montgomery counties, where the reported beaver attacks occurred.
Michelle Del Rey of USA Today contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Rabies alert issued after raccoon tests positive in Wicomico