The Florida Department of Health in Broward County (DOH-Broward) has issued a 60-day rabies alert after a raccoon in the Davie area off I-595 tested positive for rabies on September 16. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise caution, as rabies remains present in the local wild animal population.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. Rabies can be transmitted to humans and domestic animals through bites or scratches from infected wildlife.

Early symptoms in humans include fever, headache, and general weakness or discomfort, followed by anxiety, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, and paralysis.

Animals that pose a higher risk include raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats, and coyotes. Anyone exposed to rabies should seek immediate medical attention, as post-exposure treatment is highly effective in preventing infection.

The alert covers a section of Broward County with the following boundaries:

DOH-Broward recommends the following precautions: