Los Angeles County has confirmed rabies in a raccoon found near Westlake Village, the county's first such detection in more than 50 years. Public health officials are investigating the case.
The raccoon was found in a home's backyard and appeared ill, though officials said it was not aggressive toward people. One dog was exposed; it was current on its rabies vaccination, has been quarantined and is doing well. Four people who may have been exposed are receiving follow-up for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.
Officials are testing to identify the rabies variant, a process they say could take several weeks. They consider infection from a bat likely, but the variant has not yet been determined. The county's previous confirmed rabid raccoon was detected in 1973; officials also reported a record number of rabid bat detections in 2026.
Please note! Comments are published by readers. The opinions expressed may not reflect the position of the editorial team. USCT is not responsible for the content of readers' opinions and asks authors to observe moral standards, not to incite national or racial hatred, and to avoid rudeness. Think before you speak. You are responsible for your words! By publishing an opinion, you agree to the rules! If this request is ignored, USCT reserves the right to deprive the user of the ability to leave comments.