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The Fairfax County Health Department received the test results on Monday evening, June 6. Officials ask anyone who came in contact with a coyote on Saturday or Sunday in the Lake Accotink Park area in Springfield to contact the health department. They may need to receive medical treatment for the virus.
The coyote attacked three people and two dogs on Saturday. A day later, the animal bit a policeman who was searching for it in the area of the first attacks. The officer shot and killed it, Fairfax County police Lt. Dan Spital said.
Coyotes rarely attack people unless provoked, but rabid animals are hyper-aggressive and will attack without reason. Authorities assumed this animal was rabid based on its behavior, but that wasn't confirmed until Monday's lab test.
Fairfax County officials said pet owners should get their animals vaccinated annually. That shot is 100 percent effective at stopping the virus, but rabies is 100 percent fatal to unvaccinated pets.
They should be vigilant and keep their animals close, the health department said. Do not let them roam outside unattended, and report any bites or animals behaving strangely to the Fairfax County Animal Protection Police.
Health officials said people should avoid stray animals even if they appear calm.
"Animals with rabies may act normally during the early stages of the disease, making it difficult to know if the animal is infected," a release from the county health department said. "As the disease progresses, animals often show changes in behavior. For example, wild animals may act very docile, and domestic animals may become aggressive. Rabid animals may stagger, drool, or become paralyzed."
The coyote is the 16th animal to test positive for rabies in Fairfax County this year, the health department said.
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