What kind of country are we becoming when we can’t even take a raccoon into a bar with us?
In addition to all of the other things going on in the world today, now you’ll have to worry about where you can take your raccoon, as a situation in Maddock, North Dakota – a town of about 500 people just 85 miles from the Canadian border – has made national headlines.
Health officials issued a warning about probable rabies exposure to anybody who had contact after a lady entered a bar in North Dakota carrying a raccoon. Even after she was asked to leave by bartender Cindy Smith, the woman walked around and showed the other patrons of Maddock Bar – about ten people at the time – her pet. She would leave with no incident about five minutes later.
Smith confirmed the raccoon never left the woman’s arms, and there was “absolutely no biting,” but that hasn’t stopped North Dakota’s Health and Human Services Department from pleading with people to please not do this moving forward. Though there was apparently no biting as far as we know, officials are asking people who possibly even had contact with the raccoon’s saliva to seek medical care.
Rabies is a pretty insane, incredibly deadly virus for humans. With a near 100% fatality rate around a ten-day period, getting a shot if you think there’s even a remote possibility of being infected – like, say, being near a woman carrying around a random raccoon in a bar – is vital. There’s no effective treatment for the disease otherwise, which starts with flu symptoms and ultimately progresses into cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, and agitation.
According to the CDC, as the disease progresses, “the person may experience delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water), and insomnia.” Sounds like fun! There have been less than 20 cases of human survival after contracting rabies, so it’s probably best not to play the odds.
And if you do have a pet raccoon in North Dakota or any other state, take it to a raccoon-friendly patio next time.
