What should you know about rabies and raccoons?

Raccoons are wild mammals, so a bite or scratch should not be dismissed because the injury appears minor. Rabies can spread through infected saliva entering broken skin or the eyes, nose, or mouth. Touching an intact coat or seeing a raccoon at a distance is not the same as an exposure.

Unusual behaviour can include aggression, weakness, disorientation, or activity at an unexpected time, but appearance alone cannot confirm rabies. Never handle, feed, corner, or attempt to trap a raccoon. Keep children and pets away and contact local animal-control services if the animal needs reporting.

Get to a safe place, then wash any bite or scratch with soap and running water. If saliva reached broken skin, the eyes, or the mouth, rinse the affected area with clean water. Do not pick up the animal or place yourself near it to obtain a sample. Note the location, time, type of contact, and the animal’s behaviour, then contact urgent care about rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.

Seek urgent medical advice immediately after a raccoon bite or scratch, or when saliva may have entered a wound, eye, nose, or mouth. Also call promptly if contact happened while sleeping or if you cannot tell whether skin was broken. Do not wait for a rash, fever, tingling, or other symptoms before asking for help.

Ask whether the contact counts as an exposure, whether you need wound care or rabies treatment, and what information about the raccoon should be shared with local authorities. Ask how to protect household members and pets while the incident is reviewed.