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Rabies alert issued after woman takes raccoon into North Dakota bar

Oil Leak Arkansas
Posted at 3:46 PM, Sep 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-14 16:41:52-04

A raccoon in North Dakota has prompted a rabies warning.

According to The Bismarck Tribune, a woman brought a "captive raccoon" into a bar in Maddock on Sept. 6.

A bartender told the publication that the woman was carrying the raccoon and showing it off to customers.

"She showed me, and I said, 'You've got to get it out of here,'" Cindy Smith told The Bismarck Tribune.

Smith said she didn't see the raccoon bite anyone. However, the North Dakota Health and Human Services Department even coming into contact with the raccoon's saliva poses a risk of rabies exposure.

Health officials are asking people who had contact with the raccoon to seek medical care.

The state has detected rabies in six animals this year.