WHITE PLAINS – A coyote that lunged and bit a five-year-old girl at Carroll Park in Thornwood Sunday evening has tested positive for rabies.
The animal was captured by an off-duty Irvington police officer and was shot by a Mount Pleasant police officer after it bit the girl on the left forearm at the playground.
Everyone who came into contact with the animal, or its saliva, is being evaluated to determine the need for preventative rabies treatment.
Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said if a coyote approaches, “make noise and try to avoid it.” If it appears aggressive or lethargic, it could have rabies so she advised to call local police.
“Unusual behavior may be the first sign of rabies in an animal,” Amler said. “A rabid animal may become abnormally aggressive or unusually tame. It may lose fear of people and become excited and irritable, or appear particularly passive and lethargic. Staggering and frothing at the mouth are sometimes noted.”
Any physical contact with a wild or unfamiliar animal should be reported to a health care provider right away to evaluate the need for preventative rabies treatment. It left untreated, rabies is fatal.
