Officials in a Morris County municipality are urging residents to be alert after a raccoon in the area tested positive for rabies.

The raccoon came in contact Nov. 12 with two dogs near the intersection of Old Farmers Road and Youngman Drive in the Long Valley section of Washington Township, government leaders announced in a Facebook post . The animal "was exhibiting symptoms commonly associated with rabies," the post stated, and testing confirmed the presence of the disease the following day.

The incident marks the second known occurrence of a rabid raccoon in Washington Township this year, according to the post. The township animal control officer is monitoring the situation and looking into potential exposures related to the animal.

Rabies is a viral disease spread mainly through b

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