A raccoon at the edge of a marsh, not the animal in this case. Photo: John and Karen Hollingsworth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain.
Rabid Raccoon Near Sparr Is Marion County's Sixth Rabies Case of 2026
This is a local news news article published on 2026-11-07 covering local Marion County, Florida news. A raccoon killed Oct. 23 off 22nd Terrace in the Sparr area tested positive for rabies, the Florida Department of Health in Marion County said Nov. 2. It is the county's sixth confirmed animal rabies case of 2026.
The department says it is monitoring rabies among wild animals and that "all residents and visitors should be aware that rabies may be currently present in the wild animal population."
A raccoon at the edge of a marsh, not the animal in this case. Photo: John and Karen Hollingsworth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Six Cases Since February
By our count of the department's notices, the Sparr raccoon is the county's sixth confirmed animal rabies case of 2026 and its fifth raccoon, alongside one bobcat. The cases come from the advisories listed in DOH-Marion's newsroom and the department's earlier notices:
| Date found | Animal | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 24 | Raccoon | Belleview area, off US 441 and SE 132nd Street Road |
| March 20 | Raccoon | Huntington area, off State Highway 35 |
| May 11 | Raccoon | Ocala, off SE 8th Street (60-day rabies alert) |
| July 26 | Raccoon | Reddick area, off US 441 and W Highway 316 |
| Sept. 15 | Bobcat | Rainbow Park area, off SR 40 and SW 140th Avenue |
| Oct. 23 | Raccoon | Sparr area, off 22nd Terrace |
Unlike the May case in central Ocala, which DOH-Marion issued as a 60-day rabies alert with mapped boundaries, the Sparr case came as an advisory, the same as the September bobcat case we covered in our Rainbow Park rabies story.
How to Protect Your Family, Pets and Livestock
Sparr is a rural area of horse and cattle farms, and the department's advice covers livestock as well as pets. DOH-Marion recommends:
- Vaccinate pets and livestock on your veterinarian's recommended schedule. Our Ocala veterinarians guide lists clinics, and VOCAL lists low-cost rabies shots on its price sheet.
- Keep pets supervised and leashed, and keep livestock secured on your property. If an animal bites your pet or livestock, get veterinary care right away and call Marion County Animal Services at 352-671-8727.
- Do not feed or attract wildlife. Bring in outdoor pet food and keep garbage cans closed.
- If you are bitten or scratched by a wild or domestic animal, seek medical attention and report it to DOH-Marion at 352-629-0137. The department says treatment after an exposure protects against rabies.
- Never adopt a wild animal. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator instead, and keep bats and other wildlife out of homes and schools.
- Call Marion County Animal Services to remove stray animals from your neighborhood.
The department names raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and coyotes as the wild animals most likely to expose people to rabies. More is at FloridaHealth.gov/Rabies.
Dog Owners Heading Out
If your dog spends time off the property, make sure its rabies shot is current before visiting one of the county's dog parks, where proof of vaccination is required. Our pet-friendly Ocala guide lists other places to take a leashed dog.
Sources: DOH-Marion rabies advisory for the Sparr area, Nov. 2, 2026, and the DOH-Marion newsroom and advisories dated Feb. 27, March 25, May 15, July 31 and Sept. 18, 2026, read Nov. 7, 2026. Photo: John and Karen Hollingsworth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (public domain). AI tools helped gather the sources and draft this page; each fact was checked against those sources before publishing.
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