Rabies warning issued after raccoon tests positive in Port Charlotte

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WINK) — A raccoon has tested positive for rabies in Charlotte County.

The Florida Department of Health issued an advisory warning that the deadly disease could be circulating among wild animal populations. The raccoon was found on Jarvis Street in Port Charlotte, just west of U.S. 41, last Friday.

WINK News reporter Eric Lovelace was at the scene. The Department of Health captured the rabid raccoon on Jarvis Street.

If pets interact with wild animals, owners should watch extra closely because rabies may now be circulating through the wildlife in this area. The disease is preventable but not curable, so avoiding bites or scratches is critical because that's how it's transmitted.

The disease is present in the animal's saliva. Raccoons, bats, foxes and unvaccinated cats have been reported most frequently in Florida to have rabies.

This puts Charlotte County at three rabies cases in the last year. In 2025, Florida had a total of 114 cases, with 2 in Charlotte County.