A raccoon that attacked a hiker in a bathroom near the Valley Green Inn on Thursday has tested positive for rabies, according to an email sent by nonprofit group Friends of the Wissahickon.
The Philadelphia Public Health Department issued a warning to anyone who came into contact with a raccoon in late April or early May to immediately seek medical attention, as the disease is almost always fatal to humans if preventative measures are not promptly taken.
The victim is currently undergoing treatment so he doesn’t catch the infection. The Health Department said the animal is the 26th rabid raccoon on record in the city since 1989. There have been 61 reported cases of infected wildlife in total during that time period.
