Nine raccoons and one fox have tested positive for rabies in Middletown this year, the most recent of which were found near Locust Point Road and Pineridge Avenue.
Health Department Director Rich DeBenedetto said it is important for residents to be aware of the risks, since rabies is incurable and often fatal.
“It is a serious concern because rabies is such an important disease to be aware of,” he said. “There is no cure — only preventative measures.
DeBenedetto said there have been “a lot” of recent cases, but the department is doing “a lot of testing.”
“We’re being very proactive in our animal control program,” he said.
According to DeBenedetto, the county has identified 21 rabid animals, while Middletown accounts for 10 of those.
“Out of the 16 raccoons, we’ve come back with nine out of 16, and one fox,” he said.
While the disease is more pronounced in Monmouth County and particularly Middletown, borders do not confine rabies.
In Middlesex County, the second of two animals — a raccoon that was found in Cranbury — tested positive on July 1, according to the Middlesex County Office of Health Services.
According to the press release, a raccoon attacked a resident’s pet dog prior to being captured and testing positive for the disease.
“Rabies is caused by a virus, which can infect all warm-blooded mammals, including man,” the press release states. “Bats, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, foxes, cats and dogs represent about 95 percent of animals diagnosed with rabies in the United States.”
David Henry, health officer for the Monmouth County Health Commission, said rabies is always a pervasive issue.
“It’s always an endemic problem,” he said. “ … And we do stay very vigilant in regards to the precautions that we relate to our residents and first responders.”
According to Henry, the best course of action is to disseminate information about rabies to prevent its spread to humans, in addition to identifying, capturing and testing potentially rabid animals.
DeBenedetto agreed that the best prevention method is informing residents about the dangers of interacting too closely with wildlife and the importance of vaccinating pets.
While the danger is very real, Henry said the total cases remain low.
However, DeBenedetto said Middletown’s “large feral cat population” presents an added risk for the spread of the disease.
According to DeBenedetto, it was especially problematic because people tend to “gravitate toward these cats.”
He said this increases the likelihood of humans contracting rabies, and the symptoms begin to show when it’s already too late.
If there is a chance that a resident has contracted rabies or come into contact with a rabid animal, they should immediately seek medical assistance, he said.
Henry said a number of free rabies clinics offer pet testing and vaccinations.