Rabies Alert Issued In Frederick County After Groundhog Tests Positive Following Dog Attack

An alert was issued by the Health Department after it was notified that a groundhog in the Frederick neighborhood tested positive for the virus after it was picked up from the stormwater management pond area near the swimming pool on Bel Aire Lane.

Frederick County Animal Control collected the groundhog after receiving a report that it had attacked a dog earlier this month.

Anyone who may have had contact with the infected animal, or whose pets have unexplained wounds, is being instructed to contact the Department of Health.

Rabies is a viral disease that mainly infects mammals (warm-blooded animals who nurse their young) and is spread through the saliva of the infected animal, usually by a bite or scratch, officials said.

Symptoms of rabies in animals may include fear of water, excessive salivation, failure to eat or drink, limping, unusually friendly or aggressive behavior, and/or other atypical behaviors such as nocturnal animals emerging during the daytime.

The disease is nearly always fatal to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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