A raccoon struck by two different vehicles on Route 29 last weekend has tested positive for rabies, Falls Church City says.
The drivers hit the animal near the 500 block of S. Washington Street in the West Falls Church area on Saturday, Sept. 23, according to the city. The raccoon’s resulting injuries led Falls Church City police to euthanize it.
Before police arrived, however, at least two people came into contact with the animal.
“A witness stated that prior to officers arriving, both he and an unidentified driver came in direct contact with the injured raccoon while removing it from the roadway,” the city said in a news release.
The Fairfax County Health Department tested the raccoon for rabies and reported that it was positive on Tuesday (Sept. 26).
“The City of Falls Church Animal Control Officer and Fairfax County Health Department are seeking to identify the unknown driver (and any other individuals) who came in contact with the raccoon to clear them of rabies exposure,” Falls Church City said. “Please call the Fairfax County Health Department Rabies Program immediately at 703-246-2433 (TTY 711) if you believe that you were exposed.”
Falls Church says this is the first animal found within its city limits to test positive for rabies in 2023.
The Fairfax County Health Department typically identifies 40 to 60 rabies cases annually. Cases so far this year have included a raccoon that got attacked by a dog in Vienna and a skunk that chased, sprayed and bit hikers on the Bull Run Occoquan Trail in Clifton.
Rabies cases often increase in the spring, summer, and end of the fall, Fairfax County health officials previously told FFXnow.
“Rabies is a viral disease that people and pets can catch from infected animals through a bite, scratch, broken skin, and mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth.),” Falls Church City said. “It is fatal if medical care is not given promptly.”
The city advises anyone who encounters sick, injured or aggressive wildlife that appear injured, sick, lethargic, disoriented, or aggressive to avoid it and call its non-emergency line at 703-241-5053.
In Fairfax County, community members can report incidents to the Animal Protection Police at 703-691-2131.
Photo via Pete Nuij/Unsplash
A dog attacked a cat and a rabid raccoon in Vienna earlier this month, an encounter that left the raccoon dead, police say.
The dog got loose in the 700 block of MacArthur Avenue NE and attacked the two other animals on May 12, according to the Vienna Police Department’s recap for the week of May 12-18.
The incident was reported on May 15 by a neighbor of the dog’s owner. The neighbor also told police that his own dog was bitten while he and the owner were both walking their pets at noon on May 8. The bite left “a puncture wound.”
“The Animal Control Officer in Fairfax County investigated these incidents and placed the dog under a 10-day quarantine,” the VPD said. “ACO Barker had a conversation with the dog’s owner, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the dog does not pose a threat to other people or animals in the future.”
The Fairfax County Health Department reported to police on May 16 that the slain raccoon had been tested for rabies and was confirmed to be positive.
“The owner of the dog was promptly notified, and the quarantine period was extended to the required 45 days,” Vienna police said, noting that both that dog and the dog of the resident who reported the incidents were up-to-date on their vaccinations.
About half of the 40 to 60 rabies cases recorded in Fairfax County each year involve raccoons, the county’s rabies program manager previously told FFXnow. The virus typically spreads through a bite or scratch and nearly always proves fatal.
Other notable incidents in last week’s crime round-up include three domestic assaults and a May 12 crash at the intersection of Locust Street and Branch Road where “the driver lost control, went over the curb, and struck a utility pole.”
The driver, a 69-year-old man from Vienna, was charged with driving while intoxicated.
Alcohol also figured into a trespassing incident at Yeonas Park around 3:30 p.m. on May 13:
Officers responded to the report of a man who was refusing to leave the ballpark. The Vienna Little League President advised he saw the man drinking alcohol and when he requested he leave the park, the man threatened him. The man was trespassed from the park by the Little League President and he left the area.
In addition, officers responded to three times to people playing pickleball at Glyndon Park outside of the town’s approved hours. The complaints came in at 7:36 p.m. and 9:07 p.m. on Wednesday (May 17), and at 9:02 p.m. on Thursday (May 18).
Separately, the VPD announced last week that a man had been arrested on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl at a Vienna park.
Fairfax County Animal Protection has seen an increase in the number of coyote-related calls since a rabid coyote bit three adults, two dogs and an officer last month.
“The recent incident of the rabid coyote at Lake Accotink has understandably created concerns for many residents about wildlife and public health and safety,” the Animal Protection Police said.
However, they say rabid coyotes are relatively rare, and none of the calls have indicated the animals sighted have rabies.
Coyotes are well-established in the county, and it’s normal to see them in parks and residential neighborhoods. They generally avoid human contact. The coyote that was spotted in June displaying signs of rabies — biting vehicle tires and other aggressive behavior — was killed after he bit an officer.
Since then, there have been 12 calls for service related to coyotes in the Springfield area. Seven of those reported coyote sightings involved the animals living close to people but displaying normal behavior, two reported injured coyotes, and the others shared concerns.
Animal Protection Police says most of the behavior reported is not indicative of sick or rabid animals, “especially given the time of year with coyotes raising pups.” Park ecologists were also monitoring the site and did not detect any unusual wildlife behavior on camera, police said.
“Based on the information received, the Animal Protection Police and Wildlife Management Specialist do not consider there to be an increased threat of rabies at Lake Accotink Park,” Animal Protection Police said.
In one call reported in June, a coyote followed a person on a trail, but when Animal Protection Police arrived, the animal was gone.
“The event notes stated the coyote seemed to be displaying normal behavior per the conversation with the caller,” police said. “The behavior described sounded like the coyote was engaged in ‘escorting’ behavior where coyotes will sometimes escort people and pets out of their territory, especially if there might be a den nearby.”
Another call in June reported a coyote “circling, barking, and snarling” at Greentree Village Park, and on Monday, July 18, a caller said he was approached by coyotes twice in Lake Accotink Park but was able to scare them away.
“The caller was fearful that the coyotes might attack him and requested an escort from the park,” police said. “A patrol unit provided him a ride out of the park. There was no mention of symptoms or behavior consistent with rabies in the event notes.”
Police said most of the calls were not within the immediate Lake Accotink area and were reported several miles from the park throughout the greater Springfield area.
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A coyote reportedly bit multiple people in the Springfield area this weekend, including a police officer who shot it.
The Fairfax County Police Department says it received a report around 8 a.m. on Saturday (June 4) of three adults being bitten by a wild coyote in Lake Accotink Park. The animal also bit two dogs, police later confirmed.
Animal protection officers launched a search of the park and coordinated with the Fairfax County Park Authority to clear it and close it to visitors. A police helicopter provided assistance, but the search wrapped up after dusk with no more coyote sightings.
The coyote reportedly resurfaced yesterday morning (Sunday) in the neighborhood along Carrleigh Parkway.
“Community members had seen the animal biting tires, which is indicative of rabid behavior,” FCPD Lt. Dan Spital said in an afternoon press conference.
Watch as Lieutenant Dan Spital updates our community after three adults and a police officer were bit by a coyote in the Lake Accotink Park area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/JTBtmLVQXO
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) June 5, 2022
According to the FCPD, around 12:15 p.m., the coyote bit an officer who was searching woods near the 7900 block of Carrleigh Parkway, just south of Lake Accotink Park.
“The animal snuck up behind the officer, and it did bite him in a lower extremity,” Spital said. “The officer discharged his weapon several times and did kill the coyote.”
Medics responded to the scene and transported the officer to a hospital for treatment. All four of the people who were bitten by the coyote are expected to make full recoveries, police say.
Lake Accotink Park reopened at 3 p.m. yesterday, according to the park authority.
The coyote will be tested to confirm whether it had been infected with rabies. Results from the Fairfax County Health Department will likely be available tomorrow (Tuesday), the FCPD told FFXnow.
As of early May, Fairfax County had recorded 11 rabies cases this year, nearly all of them among raccoons. There have been reports in Arlington and D.C. of foxes carrying the disease, which affects the nervous system and is typically fatal if it reaches the symptomatic stage.
UPDATE: While searching the woods near the 7900 blk of Carrleigh Parkway, an officer was bit by the coyote. The officer discharged his firearm to end attack. The coyote was found dead nearby. The officer was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. https://t.co/Zrx9rGZE4g
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) June 5, 2022
Photo via Ross Sokolovski/Unsplash
Recent rabies cases involving foxes in Arlington and D.C. might cause concern for nearby neighbors, but Fairfax County has not seen any such incidents so far this year.
The county has had 11 cases of rabies this year out of 72 tested animals, a typical amount, rabies program manager Bryant Bullock said on Tuesday (May 3).
The positive cases have involved 10 raccoons and a groundhog.
“Our whole area has been endemic for rabies since the…early 1980s,” he said. “Our numbers are trending typical.”
The county usually has 40-60 confirmed cases of rabid animals per year, with bumps in the spring, summer, and end of the fall. About half of the cases involve raccoons, a third foxes, and another third skunks, but the disease has also been detected in bats, cats, groundhogs, and beavers, Bullock said.
He said people should avoid wildlife acting strangely, either overly aggressive or overly friendly.
“We track all potential exposures to both humans and domestic animals, and if a human has been exposed, we recommend the treatment,” Bullock said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people who may have been bitten or scratched to quickly consult a health professional, because once rooted, the disease is almost always fatal.
Bullock says rabies shots for pets are the best protection for people. He stressed the importance of reporting any bite or scratch from any animal.
The county has an online portal to report incidents as well as animal protection police to respond seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Potential rabies cases can be reported to 703-691-2131.
Fairfax County’s Animal Protection Police can also be contacted for animal bites, animal cruelty or neglect, and sick or injured wildlife.
Additionally, Bullock says people should contact animal protection police any time a bat is found in a home, adding that an officer should respond and the bat shouldn’t be let out of the home. Doctors can advise on next steps, such as getting rabies treatment.
Totaling around 300 per year, reports of bats found indoors are common in Fairfax County because the area is home to several species of structure-roosting bats.
Photo via Pete Nuij/Unsplash
