YOUNGSTOWN — A raccoon killed in the Nixon area of Youngstown tested positive for rabies, the Bay County Health Department reported on Wednesday.
This is Bay County’s first laboratory confirmed rabid animal of 2015. Seven raccoons and one bat tested positive for rabies in 2014. Those animals were found in areas of Lynn Haven, Cedar Grove, Panama City, Youngstown, Callaway, and a High Point neighborhood.
The department reminds citizens that Florida law requires all dogs, cats, and ferrets over four months of age to be currently vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Unvaccinated dogs and cats should not be outdoors without direct and continuous adult supervision. Most laboratory confirmed rabid raccoons are discovered after conflicts with dogs.
The following advice is issued:
- Secure outside garbage in covered containers to avoid attracting wild animals.
- Do not leave pet food outside overnight as this attracts wild animals to your home and increases the chance of a pet-raccoon conflict. Placing or offering food or garbage in such a manner that it attracts raccoons is illegal in Florida.
- If bitten or scratched by an animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water. Seek medical treatment as needed and report the injury to the Bay County Health Department at (850) 872-4455, ext. 1125.
- If the animal is stray or wild, call 911 or Bay County Animal Control at (850) 784-4005 and report the animal’s location. In the City of Lynn Haven, call the Lynn Haven Police Department at (850) 265-1112.