DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Health officials in DeKalb County serving the Atlanta metro confirmed Friday that a dead raccoon picked up near Meadow Rock Drive tested positive for rabies, a reminder that the virus still moves through local wildlife year-round.
Anyone bitten or scratched should get medical care without delay. Residents were told to keep pet shots current, pull outdoor food bowls, and lock down trash so raccoons and other animals are not drawn into yards.
Georgia sits in a rabies-endemic zone, so DeKalb typically logs several animal positives each year. The disease travels in saliva, usually through a bite, and vaccines protect people and pets when the schedule is followed.
County animal control said it traps wildlife only after a person or pet has been bitten or scratched. Officials have not confirmed contact between this raccoon and any household before it was found.
Vaccine tags should be logged with DeKalb animal control. Daytime callers can use the county main animal-control number on weekdays, and a separate after-hours line is posted for evenings and weekends.
People who spot a sick or aggressive wild animal should keep their distance, bring pets inside, and phone animal control instead of trying to handle the animal. Clinics across the Atlanta area remain the first stop after any bite.
Neighbors along Meadow Rock Drive and nearby Decatur blocks were asked to watch pets closely for odd behavior and to report bites quickly so post-exposure treatment can start if needed. County releases noted Georgia sees rabies in wildlife throughout the calendar year, so each positive case still triggers a public warning.
Section: More Atlanta GA crime news
Filed under: Atlanta GA Public Safety News
