Rabies fears on the rise in Westfield, N.J., following recent raccoon attacks
Health officials in one New Jersey town sent out a public health alert after a raccoon recently attacked some residents.
Officials say the animal has now bitten at least three people in Westfield. Animal control officers are canvassing neighborhoods looking for the raccoon that health officials say could have rabies.
- Read more: Nassau County declares rabies an imminent public health threat as cases rise. Here's what to know.
"Started gnawing on my ankle"
Resident Tom Herzog said he was attacked by a raccoon on Monday afternoon as he was trying to connect a hose at his home on First Street.
"I look down, something was wrapped on my ankle, biting it, and then I kicked, and it ran," Herzog said. "It kind of grabbed me with his hands -- you know how they have hands -- and started gnawing on my ankle."
Officials say the raccoon also bit a person on the 700 block of Scotch Plains Avenue not long after Herzog was attacked, and added a third person was bit on the 600 block of Westfield Avenue on Wednesday evening.
Health officials are warning residents that the raccoon could potentially have rabies. Herzog said he immediately got medical attention and has started a course of rabies vaccines.
Local residents are on the lookout for the raccoon
One resident said he saw a raccoon near a nearby school, while an 8-year-old said he saw a raccoon near the area where Herzog was bitten.
"We ran for our lives," the 8-year-old said.
His mom said she's being cautious because she's concerned for her children's and small dog's safety.
Some runners told CBS News New York they are keeping an eye on their surroundings.
"It is obviously really scary for people not to know these things are going to come out and attack them," said Charlotte Dreisbach of Ramsey.
"I'm not letting the dogs out on their own, not even in our fenced yard. There have been foxes recently, but this is, of course, a little bit more dangerous because they are actually going toward people and biting them," Westfield resident Amy Forbes said.
What to know about rabies
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says human rabies is rare in the U.S., with less than 10 cases reported annually. The agency says the disease, although almost always fatal when symptoms develop, is preventable when vaccines are given early on.
Health officials say signs of rabies in an animal include difficulty walking, disorientation, and unprovoked aggression, but added the only way to determine if an animal has the disease is by capturing it. So while they continue to look for the one reported in Westfield, officials are urging residents to make sure their pets are vaccinated and licensed with the town.
