The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has confirmed that two raccoons brought to one of its facilities earlier this week have tested positive for rabies. The first raccoon was discovered near the 1500 block of Duffield Street in the City of Pittsburgh. This location is on the Morningside/Stanton Heights border. The second raccoon was discovered on Racine Avenue in Mt. Lebanon.County residents should always avoid stray and wild animals, even if they appear healthy, to avoid exposure to rabies. If any animal appears to be acting strange or becomes threatening, residents should immediately notify their local animal control service, the police or the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Residents should also make sure that their pets are up-to-date with vaccinations.Rabies is a virus transmitted by an animal bite or scratch, and exposures due to a bite or scratch are almost always fatal when left untreated. Any individual who is bitten, scratched or otherwise exposed to saliva from a stray or any other animal, should immediately cleanse the contact area with soap and water, seek emergency medical treatment and call the Allegheny County Health Department (412-687-2243) to report the incident.This is the 19th rabid animal reported in Allegheny County in 2018: eight (8) raccoons, seven (7) bats, two (2) cats, one (1) groundhog and one (1) fox.