Rabies alert in McDonough

The Henry County Animal Care and Control Department in conjunction with the county’s Board of Health has issued a 45-day rabies alert, as required by the Georgia Rabies Control Manual, for a half-mile area surrounding the 1200 block of O’Hara Drive in McDonough.

The department received a call Nov. 1 that a raccoon was killed by a dog. The remains of the raccoon were taken to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory for rabies testing and the results came back positive for the rabies virus. During this alert, residents living within this area should make sure that all of their companion animals have a current rabies vaccination. If not, vaccinations should be made current as soon as possible.

Additionally, residents should be vigilant of the behavior of not only their own pets, but of surrounding wildlife (e.g. foxes, skunks and raccoons) that are acting in an unusual manner.