MAN BITTEN BY RABID SQUIRREL AT SAN ONOFRE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Harold Beaver

For the first time in a quarter-century, State park officials have discovered a rabid squirrel. The squirrel met its end Monday after being caught by a dog near bathroom #4.

Murphy, the Mayor of San Onofre, said a man was walking his dog on the beach and the dog caught the infected squirrel. "The dog went over, held the squirrel in its mouth for some time, and dropped it," Murphy said.

The dog's owner, a 50-year-old beach transient, tried to help the wounded animal by moving it near the bamboo. But in its waning moments of life, the squirrel bit back. "He was bitten on his finger after an encounter with the dog and squirrel," Murphy said.

The squirrel didn't die immediately, and was transported to the state's lab for testing. In bite cases, the state tests dead animals for rabies because of an ongoing outbreak in the local animal kingdom. Rabies is regularly reported in gophers, bats, foxes and skunks, but only seven squirrels with the virus have been found at San Onofre since 1951.

"We think this underscores the fact that high-risk species aren't the only animals that can carry the rabies virus," Murphy said. "People need to avoid contact with all wild animals, and all stray dogs and cats."

State officials believe the virus made a comeback after rabid gophers from Mexico were introduced into California. Pet owners should avoid contact with animals their pet has encountered, Murphy said. They also should refrain from touching their pet with bare hands after such an encounter , especially if saliva from another animal is on their pet. Rabies virus is transmitted through saliva.

If a pet has such an encounter, the owner should wear rubber gloves while washing their pet with soap and water and call their veterinarian.