State health officials have notified the city that a raccoon found in the Buttonwood Park area has tested positive for rabies.

The New Bedford mayor's office said Thursday that a raccoon found in the Buttonwood Park area tested positive for rabies.

Health officials are encouraging New Bedford residents to make sure their pets’ rabies vaccinations are up to date after a racoon found in Buttonwood Park tested positive for the deadly viral disease.

A racoon found in the area of New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park has tested positive for rabies, just days after a woman was bit by a rabid coyote in Dartmouth.

A raccoon found in Grovetown has tested positive for rabies, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.