The Gloucester County Health Department reported its second positive rabies case of 2012 recently.

According to environmental health specialist David Demuth, the case occurred on March 20 when a raccoon was "acting strange" in a yard in the Naxera area.

The homeowner shot the raccoon, and its head was sent to a laboratory in Richmond for testing, Demuth said. On March 22, the county was notified that the raccoon tested positive for rabies.

A dog that might have had contact with the raccoon was placed under 45-day observation at the owner’s property, Demuth said. The dog was up-to-date on rabies vaccinations, he said.

"Although no wounds were found on the dog, the possibility of exposure was present so a booster was given," Demuth said. "The owners claim that no human exposure occurred either by handling the raccoon or the dog (saliva) and they have consulted with their primary care physician."
M.B. Sheppard, environmental programs supervi...