PITTSBURGH Rabid squirrel bites woman who was out walking her dog
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A rare case of rabies was confirmed in a squirrel when a woman walking her dog was bitten by the injured animal, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.
The 50-year-old woman, who has not been identified, was walking her dog in the Highland Park section of the city when the dog grabbed the squirrel and clamped it in its jaws before dropping the animal.
The woman attempted to move the wounded squirrel closer to a tree when it bit her finger.
"A rabid squirrel, of all things," said Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole.
Rabid squirrels are extremely rare, with only eight reported cases since 1950, Cole said. It was the first reported case in a dozen years statewide, he said.
The woman was treated immediately and was receiving a vaccine and anti-rabies globulin. She was not expected to suffer the effects of rabies, which is almost always fatal in humans if left untreated.
The dog had up-to-date rabies shots, but is being confined at home for several months as a precaution.
Allegheny County led the state last year with 32 reported cases of rabid animals, mostly raccoons, skunks and bats. There have been 17 cases of rabid animals reported this year in the county.