After a raccoon that later tested positive for rabies came into contact with a dog and its owner in Potomac Yard, the Alexandria Health Department is urging caution around wildlife.
The health department said the raccoon was aggressive when it had contact with the dog around E. Glebe Road in Potomac Yard on May 23. The dog’s owner was also potentially exposed while relocating the dog to a safe area. Officials say the dog and owner are safe, and the dog is being monitored for symptoms.
The Alexandria Health Department is raising concerns about the rise of tickborne illnesses as spring progresses.
The health department and Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities are partnering for a tick bite prevention campaign this spring, when tick activity increases as temperatures warm. The city is placing 30 educational signs across parks and trails encouraging residents to do tick checks. There will also be educational sessions about tick prevention and giveaways of tick removal tools at the events and the Alexandria Health Department headquarters (4850 Mark Center Drive).
Alexandria continues to outpace the state average for sexually transmitted infections, according to a new report.
The Alexandria Health Department’s 2024 Disease Investigation Report recorded 1,900 separate disease investigations in 2024, a 5% decrease from 2023. The department found that vaccine-preventable diseases increased fivefold with 41 cases in 2024, compared to eight reported cases in 2023; and that sexually transmitted infections decreased 2%, although gonorrhea and HIV cases have increased by 9% and 24%, respectively.
Virginia’s recreational water advisory has been lifted for the remaining part of the Potomac River affected by the Jan. 19 sewage spill, the state’s health department announced today (Tuesday).
The Virginia Department of Health’s advisory is no longer in effect in the Potomac River between the Capital Beltway/American Legion Bridge and Route 120/ Chain Bridge. The advisory, first issued Feb. 13, had been partially lifted on March 5 between Route 120 Chain Bridge to Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge in King George County. The change is effective immediately.
A dead raccoon found in Old Town last week has tested positive for rabies, according to the Alexandria Health Department.
The animal was recovered after two people reported being bitten by a raccoon in Old Town last Tuesday. It’s not confirmed if the raccoon was responsible for one or both of the attacks, “but the location and aggressive behavior line up with how a rabid raccoon in that area might act,” AHD said in an announcement yesterday (Monday).
The Virginia Department of Health has partially lifted its recreational water advisory for a portion of the Potomac River as repairs continue from January’s massive sewage spill.
The advisory, first issued Feb. 13, has now been lifted for a stretch of the river including Alexandria’s waterfront. The cleared area starts south at the Route 120 Chain Bridge and ends at the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge in King George County, according to a VDH announcement this afternoon (Thursday).
The Alexandria Health Department is advising residents to be cautious around wildlife after two people reported being bitten by a raccoon in Old Town yesterday (Tuesday).
According to AHD, two people said they were bitten by a raccoon near N. Henry Street, N. Patrick Street and Cameron Street in Old Town. It’s unclear if the bites came from the same raccoon, “but the incidents happened close together in time,” according to an AHD announcement this afternoon.
An Alexandria office building is one of several potential measles exposure sites in Northern Virginia confirmed by state health officials last night (Thursday).
People in the office building, located at 2800 Eisenhower Avenue, could have been exposed to measles between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The office was reported as an exposure site in connection with two new measles cases in the region.
The Alexandria Health Department is advising residents of another measles case, the seventh in the Northern Virginia region.
An adult who recently traveled abroad was diagnosed with measles after visiting a local grocery store and two Inova facilities, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
New potential measles exposures in Northern Virginia were confirmed last week, following several cases in the region so far this year.
A preschool-age child and an out-of-state resident with measles recently traveled in Reagan National Airport and a Yellow Line Metro train, in addition to visiting a medical facility in Haymarket. Dates, times and exact locations of the potential exposure sites are listed below, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The Alexandria Health Department is advising city residents of Northern Virginia’s fourth confirmed measles case this year and warning of potential exposures.
An adult from Northern Virginia with measles traveled through various sites in Fairfax County late last month, leading to potential exposures, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Dates, times and locations for the potential exposures are listed below.
