4 people bitten by possibly rabid raccoon in Northwest DC

WASHINGTON - Four people were treated at the hospital for potential rabies exposure after suffering raccoon bites in Northwest D.C.

All four victims went to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital's Emergency Department where doctors gave them vaccinations to prevent rabies, health and hospital officials said. They were all released from the hospital following their treatment.

The hospital said it did have to get additional vaccinations from a nearby hospital because they just were not equipped to treat such a large number of victims.

A fifth person who also went to the hospital was not considered to be exposed and was not treated.

Jeni Hansen said she was coming from a dinner party when she noticed the raccoon at around 10 p.m. Wednesday in front of the Thomas Sweet ice cream shop on P Street in Georgetown. She said it tried to squeeze under a fence, but when that didn't work, it lunged at her.

"I teetered backwards and took a swing at him with my purse," she described. "That's about how close we got and then at that moment, I came out of my flip-flops, which I think saved me because he grabbed a hold of a flip-flop and ran off with it in his mouth … I have never seen a raccoon that close before and if anything I thought he would run away, but I hope that people will be vigilant and I am glad that there were people across the street who could help."

Fortunately, Hansen wasn't bit. However, one man in Hansen's group told police he kicked the raccoon three times to get it off of him, but it still managed to rip his pants and bite him twice.

"A person exposed to rabies is unlikely to become sick if he or she receives preventative treatment consisting of human rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccinations quickly after the exposure," the health department said in a statement. "If treatment is not given quickly, a person infected with rabies will die. This is why it is important to see a physician immediately if you are bitten by an aggressive animal, or by an animal that is acting abnormally, especially if it was a wild animal."

Health officials said signs of rabies include abnormal aggression, fear of light and water and excessive salivation.

If you are bitten or have had contact with a raccoon in D.C., you should contact your doctor and the D.C. Department of Health.