Second animal tests positive for rabies in Carteret

A raccoon has tested positive for rabies in Carteret, the second animal to test positive for the disease in the borough in 2015.

The second rabid animal, a raccoon, has been found in Carteret, the 13th in Middlesex County, county health officials said. Patti Sapone / The Star Ledger Patti Sapone / The Star Ledger landmark new brunswickFile photo 

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A raccoon has tested positive for rabies in Carteret, the second animal to test positive for the disease in the borough in 2015 and the 13^th in Middlesex County, according to county health officials.

Officials said the animal was killed by a resident's dog Saturday in the vicinity of Hastings Place and Wedgewood Drive, according to a statement released by the Middlesex County Office of Health Services.

The statement said the borough's animal control officer sent the dead raccoon to the New Jersey Department of Health Laboratory for testing and received the test results back on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, that the animal tested positive for rabies.

Officials said no person was exposed to the raccoon during this incident. The dog was current on its vaccinations and will be kept under a 45-day observation period, the statement said.

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The county office of health services will be distributing rabies fact sheets in the area where the raccoon was killed, the statement said.

Residents should report animals showing signs of unusual behavior to the police department, the statement said. It is also recommended that residents should avoid contact with wild animals and immediately report any bites from wild or domestic animals to their local health department and consult a physician as soon as possible.

Health officials also advise that all family pets be up to date on their rabies vaccinations and licenses.

Rabies is caused by a virus, which can infect all warm-blooded mammals, including humans. The virus is found in the saliva of a rabid animal and is transmitted by a bite or by contamination of an open cut.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.