Rabid Beaver Attacks Girl in Lake, Father Beat It to Death

A rabies alert has been issued in Gainesville, Georgia, after a young girl was bitten by a rabid beaver which her father then caught and killed.

The incident took place on Saturday afternoon while the girl was swimming off private property in the northern end of Lake Lanier, WDUN-AM reports.

In an interview with WSB-TV, Don McGowan, a supervisor for the Georgia Department of National Resources, said that the responding game warden described the animal as the "biggest beaver he's ever seen," coming in at around 50 to 55 pounds.

Despite its massive size, the girl's father beat the beaver to death. Its body was transported to the virology section of the Georgia Public Health Lab in Decatur for testing. On July 11, the results came back positive for rabies.

Rabies is a fatal viral infection that is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. The infection targets the brain and spinal cord of mammals, causing progressive inflammation and, eventually, death.

Once in the brain, the rabies virus binds to and inhibits certain receptors that play a crucial role in regulating mammalian behavior, according to researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In humans, this usually results in feelings of anxiety, confusion, partial paralysis, hallucinations and, in its final phases, a fear of water.

In animals, the virus often induces increased aggression, turning infected animals into angry biting machines, hellbent on spreading the infection through their frothing saliva. But rabies isn't always this obvious and, according to the CDC, some animals may actually become more timid when infected.

Roughly 5,000 animal rabies cases are reported in the U.S. every year, with only about one to three human cases, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. However, around the world, the World Health Organization estimates that at least 59,000 people die every year as a result of rabies infections, with 95 percent of cases occurring in Africa and Asia.

In the state of Georgia, pet cats and dogs are required to be vaccinated against rabies. The Hall County Animal Shelter recommends limiting contact with wild animals and notifying officials if any animals are seen to be acting unusually.

In light of the recent incident, the Hall County Government will be posting positive alert signs in the Sardis area where the attack took place. "If you live in this area or you see an animal acting abnormally in the area, contact Hall County Animal Services at 770-531-6830 or call Hall County Dispatch at 770-536-8812 during non-working hours," Hall County Government said in a Facebook post.

As of Monday, the girl was said to be in good health, according to WSB-TV.