Raccoon with rabies confirmed in Los Angeles County, marking first discovery in over 50 years

Los Angeles County public health officials have launched an investigation after confirming the first rabies-positive raccoon detection in more than 50 years. 

In a news release, the Department of Public Health said that the raccoon was found in the backyard of a home and that it "appeared sick but not aggressive towards people."

Officials said one dog was exposed to the raccoon, but it was up to date on rabies vaccination and has since been quarantined and is doing well. Four people were also possibly exposed and were receiving follow-up for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. 

According to LADPH, the last confirmed rabid raccoon in the county was detected in 1973 and had the skunk variant of rabies, which has not been detected since 1979. They also noted that the last animal that wasn't a bat to have confirmed rabies was a skunk that was infected with the bat variant in 2014. 

Health officials are still working to determine which rabies variant the raccoon was infected with, which they say will be important in understanding the source of the infection. They said it can take several weeks for a test to determine the strain.

"Based on current knowledge of rabies occurrence in Los Angeles County, it is likely this raccoon was infected with rabies from a bat," the release said.

Last week, LADPH officials reported a record number of rabid bat detections in 2026, with several months remaining in peak bat season. 

Health officials urged people to use the incident as a reminder that wild animals should never be touched, handled or fed, and that people should always keep a safe distance. 

They also advised people to vaccinate their pets, as rabies is 100% fatal in animals once symptoms begin. The infection can be prevented through vaccination. 

According to the news release, rabies is most commonly transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, or when saliva from a rabid animal comes in contact with an open wound or a mammal's eyes, nose or mouth. 

In humans, symptoms often include fever, weakness and headache before progressing to tingling sensations, anxiety, agitation, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, coma and death. Animals first experience non-specific signs like vomiting and respiratory distress before progressing to neurologic signs like circling, difficulty walking, behavioral changes, aggression, paralysis, hydrophobia and death.