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Fairfax Health Department: Coyote that bit 3 people and an officer was rabid

The coyote was shot and killed by an officer in Lake Accotink Park over the weekend.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — The coyote that attacked four people, including a Fairfax County police officer, tested positive for rabies, according to the Fairfax County Health Department

On Sunday, officers with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) formed a search group to locate the coyote after receiving reports that the animal had bitten three people and two dogs at Lake Accotink Park. 

FCPD said one of its officers was bitten by the coyote after the animal snuck up behind him. He shot the animal to end the attack. The coyote was found dead nearby.

The officer was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his wounds. All of the people that were attacked are expected to recover.

The health department asks that if you, someone you know, or a pet touched or was bitten or scratched by the animal between Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, you are urged to call the Fairfax County Health Department Rabies Program at 703-246-2433, TTY 711.

Rabies is a serious disease caused by a virus that can infect wildlife, particularly foxes, racoons, skunks and bats, and domestic animals, such as dogs and cats. The rabies virus is found in the saliva, brain and spinal tissue of an infected animal, according to the health department. People get rabies when they are bitten or scratched by an animal that is sick with the disease. The virus can also be passed along when an infected animal's saliva or central nervous tissue enters an open wound, mouth, nose or eyes of another mammal. To date, 16 animals have been diagnosed with rabies in Fairfax County in 2022.

If bitten or scratched by an animal that might have rabies, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention right away. When vaccinations are provided in time and appropriately, rabies treatment is 100% effective in preventing the disease. But if not treated, rabies is 100 percent fatal, the health department says.

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