A rabid otter bit a man and a dog in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County.
The animal bit the dog and then the man in the 900 block of Marlin Drive in Jupiter on Sept. 23, according to the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County.
Joseph Scaglione, 74, said he was attacked by the otter for several minutes after feeding corn to ducks at a pond near his home, NBC affiliate WPTV reported.
“I backed up along the fence but when I started to close the gate, it charged, immediately attacking my legs,” Joseph Scaglione told WPTV. He was bitten on both his arms and legs.
The otter was picked up by Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control and tested for rabies. The test came back positive. Florida officials did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment on the current status of the otter.
Rabies is a disease that affects the central nervous system and can be fatal to humans and warm-blooded animals if not appropriately treated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization,” the Florida Department of Health said in a news release. “Appropriate treatment must be started as soon as possible after the exposure to protect an exposed person from the disease.”
The department is warning residents in the area to avoid making contact with wildlife, including any feral cats, and to report suspicious animals to Animal Care and Control.
Additional advice issued by the department of health includes keeping rabies vaccinations up to date for pets and to not handle, feed or adopt wild animals.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
