Greenwich 4-year-old Treated for Rabies After Raccoon Scratch

A 4-year-old girl is receiving treatment for rabies after being scratched by a raccoon at a Greenwich home.

According to , the incident happened on Jan. 3 in the 300 block of Stanwich Road.

"The child apparently was wearing gloves and received a minor scratch on a hand. The doctor said it did not break the skin but still recommended rabies treatments," according to Greenwich Police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray. Gray said the child was outdoors as her mother went to the mailbox. "The child starts screaming; the mother scares off the raccoon. The mom took the child to the (Greenwich Hospital) ER and she was treated there," Gray said.

Police officers sent to the home could not locate the animal. Gray said, "You have to be careful with wildlife. They are vector animals—raccoons, bats, foxes, coyotes, they are all vector animals. They carry and transmit disease to humans."

According to raccoonfacts.net, "Rabies is concentrated in the saliva of the infected carrier—in this case a raccoon. If the animal comes in contact with a human, the disease can be spread through a scratch or cut. The virus can also enter a human through the eyes, mouth and nose."

According to the Mayo Clinic, "if you've been bitten by an animal that is known to have rabies, you'll receive a series of shots to prevent the rabies virus from infecting you. If the animal that bit you can't be found, it may be safest to assume that the animal has rabies. But this will depend on several factors, such as the type of animal and the situation in which the bite occurred."

The Mayo Clinic says rabies shots include:

• "A fast-acting shot (rabies immune globulin) to prevent the virus from infecting you. Part of this injection is given near the area where the animal bit you if possible, as soon as possible after the bite.
• "A series of rabies vaccines to help your body learn to identify and fight the rabies virus. Rabies vaccines are given as injections in your arm. You receive five injections over 14 days"

Messages were left with Greenwich Animal Control and the Greenwich Health Department. However, several residents in the Stanwich Road area report that after the Jan. 3 attack, they were warned by officials to keep pets and children indoors.