Authorities in New York have warned people visiting Prospect Park in Brooklyn to be on the lookout for an “unusually aggressive” squirrel.
Health officials said the “possibly rabid” rodent attacked at least five people at the park last week, four of whom have since been traced.
A fifth person, who was jogging when attacked, has been urged to seek medical attention, local media report.
Squirrels are rarely infected with rabies, a disease that can prove fatal.
But officials from New York’s Health Department said in a statement they were assuming that this particular squirrel may have contracted the disease following reports of what it described as “unusual aggressive behaviour”.
Anyone who thinks they may have been bitten in the park recently should get immediate medical advice, the department said.
However, regulars to Prospect Park are refusing to be intimidated by the animal.
“I’m not gonna sit there and be a victim of some squirrel,” Tookes, a publicist from Crown Heights, told the New York Post. “Between me and my dog, we could take the squirrel,” she said.
Another local, 36-year-old Sara Haynes, cast doubt on the rabies theory, suggesting that squirrels in Brooklyn were naturally aggressive, the New York Times reported. “They’re just bold,” she said, adding: “It’s not stopping us.”
The incidents occurred near the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance of the park between 18-20 July, local media report.
Rabies is a viral infection that affects the nervous system.
It is a zoonotic disease, one passed on to humans from animals, and is transmitted via saliva from infected animals – most commonly dogs.
There are no known cases in the US of squirrels passing the disease to humans.
Now that others have come forward, I can say for the record “I was attached. Maybe not by that particular squirrel, but I was attacked ! Wait, was it a squirrel???.. Come to think of it… “.”.
It’s my understanding that only small percent of ANY small animal is tested. The stats aren’t necessarily a reflection of true numbers of total infected animals.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.khou.com/amp/news/local/woman-bitten-by-rabid-bat-says-she-cant-afford-treatment/457704123
Please let us know if they catch this squirrel
Diagnosis in humans Several tests are necessary to diagnose rabies ante-mortem (before death) in humans; no single test is sufficient. Tests are performed on samples of saliva, serum, spinal fluid, and skin biopsies of hair follicles at the nape of the neck. Saliva can be tested by virus isolation or reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum and spinal fluid are tested for antibodies to rabies virus. Skin biopsy specimens are examined for rabies antigen in the cutaneous nerves at the base of hair follicles. I knew someone once who was bitten by a bat. They weren’t tested,… Read more »
dont give up, we will overcome these squirrels and conquer prospect park.
SO since squirrels RARELY carry rabies and ZERO squirrels have ever transmitted rabies,therefore what? Squirrels CAN carry rabies and if one bites a human it CAN be the first time. Even if this artcle wasn’t written would you not take care not to be bitten by a squirrel?
What I’m wondering is that if the people were tracked and found, were they tested? If not, why not? If yes, was rabies detected?
Anyone should know that small animals such as squirrels and mice RARELY carry rabies…. and so far ZERO squirrels have ever transmitted rabies to a human in the US.