Beaver that bit teen at Cunningham Falls tests positive for rabies
Maryland officials confirmed that the beaver involved in a June attack on a 13-year-old boy tested positive for rabies, prompting temporary closure of the park's swimming beach.
Maryland health officials said the beaver that bit a 13-year-old boy at Cunningham Falls State Park tested positive for rabies. The animal was captured by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources shortly after the incident and was euthanized so that samples could be sent to the Frederick County Health Department for testing.
The boy, who sustained injuries to his hands and chest, was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for treatment and is now recovering. The swimming beach at the William Houck Area near the lake's North Beach remains closed while crews assess safety and determine when it can reopen.
State park areas other than the swimming beach stayed open to visitors. Authorities advised anyone who may have had contact with the beaver or other wildlife to consult a health-care provider and notify the Frederick County Health Department’s Community Health Services Office at 301-600-3342.