NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Health officials in Newport News are looking for a person who was attacked by a dog last week.
The Peninsula Health District said a person was bitten by a gray pit bull terrier-type of dog in the 800 block of Paul Street on the night of May 11. The person left the scene without speaking to Animal Control.
If you are or know the victim of this attack, you're urged to immediately call the Peninsula Health District's Peninsula Health Center at 757-594-7340. Health officials said the victim is strongly recommended to get treated for possible rabies exposure.
Health officials said the dog is currently at large and while it's not known if it has rabies or not, the Peninsula Health District confirmed the animal's rabies vaccine is not up to date.
Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. Health officials said it kills almost any mammal that gets sick from it, including humans.
The rabies virus is mainly in the saliva and brain of rabid animals. It can be transmitted through a bite or getting saliva or brain tissue in a wound, eye, nose, or mouth.
Click here for more information on the rabies virus.