The raccoon that savagely attacked a young New Jersey boy's face was infected with rabies, one of the world's deadliest diseases.
A raccoon that savagely attacked a New Jersey boy this week has tested positive for rabies, officials said Friday.
Aryan Gavali, 6, was walking to school with his mom in Elmwood Park on Wednesday when the raccoon suddenly charged at the boy, jumped on his back aand sank its claws into his face.
Thankfully, a good Samaritan saw the attack and rushed to help and the boy is now undergoing treatment to prevent him from developing the deadly infection.
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Danny Walls grabbed an extension pole used for painting and beat the raccoon to save Aryan.
“He clawed into the kid's face," Walls said. "He was biting the kid's face. I killed the raccoon. The kid jumped up, he was screaming, he was crying. There was blood all over the place.”
Walls added: “I was so emotional because I imagined that was my son at that point in time.”
Aryan's mother told CBS News that Walls "came like an angel to help us."
Aryan was released from the hospital on Thursday after receiving nine stitches.
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His mother told The Record that Aryan has received a series of vaccination shots and will have to endure more in the coming days.
Aryan will likely be just fine once his face heals and after he's received his full course of treatment.
However, rabies--which affects the central nervous system and brain--is deadly in 100 percent of untreated cases.
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