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'Aggressive' Prospect Park Squirrel Likely Dead of Rabies, City Says

 The potentially rabid critter that bit five people in Prospect Park is likely dead, cit officials say.
The potentially rabid critter that bit five people in Prospect Park is likely dead, cit officials say.
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John Taggart

PROSPECT PARK — The potentially rabid critter that bit five people in Prospect Park last week is likely dead, according to city officials.

Joggers and park goers shouldn't have to worry about looking over their shoulder for the sinister squirrel because the infection has probably killed the rodent by now. 

"This is a squirrel that despite repeated attempts to get away, it kept charging people — unprovoked," said Dr. Sally Slavinksi, a rabies expert with the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. "Rabies in squirrels is extremely, exceedingly rare but there was really nothing to explain its behavior other than rabies."

The deadly viral disease causes inflammation to the brain and when its victims become aggressive or manic, death is imminent, according to Salvinksi. 

"Rabies is very fast acting and if it was infected it is likely dead by now," she said.

It is rare for a squirrel to be infected with rabies, and the state has never identified a squirrel with the disease since it began monitoring the illness in 1992. But since the ravenous rodent is exhibiting "unusual aggressive behavior," city officials are assuming the critter is infected, Salvinksi explained.

Rabies is highly adaptable and liked infected the animal from a rabid raccoon or bat, said Salvinksi. 

The threat of that particular squirrel is likely over but it is still possible that an animal could become infected by chowing down on the rodent's remains — though Salvinksi feels that is unlikely and the worst is probably behind us.

"It's always a possibility," she said. "But this is an isolated incident."

Those chomped by the squirrel include a 7-year-old girl and an East Flatbush man who said the ravenous rodent sunk its teeth into his finger when he tried to feed it near the Parkside and Ocean avenue entrance July 11, the New York Daily News reported.

All but one victim, a jogger, has been identified and received medical attention, said Julien Martinez, a spokesman for the health department, on Monday.

Health officials recommend any person or pet bitten receive a rabies vaccination — a series of shots that can take up to five weeks to complete.

Warning signs have been posted near where the squirrel was spotted.