RABID RACOON

A raccoon captured in the neighborhood near Highway 79 in Panama City Beach has tested positive for rabies. This is the fifth confirmed case of a rabid animal in Bay County this year. According to the Bay County Health Department, another raccoon suspected to be rabid, attacked a dog in the Glades neighborhood in Panama City Beach, but evaded capture. That animal is also suspected to be rabid. Rabies is a fatal disease transmitted from animal to humans through bites, scratches or exposure to the mucus membrane of an infected animal, but can be treated in the early stages. Raccoons, bats, and foxes are the animals most frequently diagnosed with rabies.