SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) — Health officials have confirmed that a woman in the Detroit suburb of Southfield was bitten by a rabid groundhog.
Oakland County says in a release that its health division was informed Friday that the animal tested positive for the disease and that it is Michigan's first recorded case of rabies in a groundhog.
Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are common in many parts of Michigan and often roam into backyards in Detroit and its suburbs.
Officials did not say when the woman was bitten or the severity of her wounds.
Rabies affects the nervous system and is transmitted through the bite or saliva of an infected animal.
Officials say people should be wary of animals like skunks, bats, raccoons and foxes which are known to carry the disease.
