A coyote that bit a Connecticut construction worker was euthanized and later tested positive for rabies, state officials said Wednesday.
The coyote had been hassling workers on forklifts and trucks at United Concrete in Wallingford on Tuesday morning, according to WTNH. The animal managed to bite an employee as he got out of his vehicle to report to work around 6:30 a.m., his colleagues told police.
The injury itself was not life-threatening, but the worker was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
“The coyote was euthanized and submitted for rabies testing, which came back positive for rabies,” the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection told the Daily News in a statement. “The adult male victim, who sought treatment for the bite, was informed of the test results, and has begun treatment for rabies exposure.”
Wallingford Animal Control sent out an alert for people to be on the lookout for wildlife that might be carrying the deadly virus, and to make sure their pets are vaccinated since they can be another vector if they come into contact with an infected animal.
Rabies is spread through an infected animal’s saliva via a bite or scratch, or if infected saliva comes into contact with the eyes, mouth, nostrils or an open wound, the animal control agency noted.
While rabies is rare in humans, it’s “endemic in New York wildlife,” the state’s Department of Health warns on its website. Rabies is mostly spread by bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Waiting for symptoms to appear after a potentially infectious encounter is too late.
“Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease nearly always causes death,” the Mayo Clinic warns on its website. “For this reason, anyone who may have a risk of contracting rabies should receive rabies vaccinations for protection.”
