BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced on Friday, Nov. 22, that a raccoon found dead in Eastham on Sunday, Nov. 17, tested positive for rabies.
Anyone who had contact with the animal is asked to contact the DPH Division of Epidemiology for a risk assessment at (617) 983-6800. The line operates 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Those who came in contact with the animal should be able to identify coming into contact with it, as it had many porcupine quills stuck in it.
The Cape Cod Rabies Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture collected the animal and submitted it to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for testing. The positive test for rabies returned on Nov. 20.
The virus that causes rabies transits through the saliva of infected animals via a bite or contact of saliva with an open wound or the eyes, nose, or mouth. Humans exposed should receive wound care and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) from a medical professional to prevent development of the disease.
The most likely infected animals in Massachusetts are raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes and woodchucks (groundhogs). As cats have a lower vaccination rate than dogs, cats are the most likely domestic animal infected.
The DPH provides these tips to minimize the potential exposure to the virus:
- Teach children never to approach animals they don’t know – even if they appear friendly.
- Report any animal that behaves oddly to your local animal control official.
- Enjoy wild animals from a distance. Do not keep wild animals as pets. This is against the law in Massachusetts.
- Make sure your pets are vaccinated against rabies. By law, all dogs, cats, and ferrets must be regularly vaccinated against rabies.
- Don’t leave food or water for your pets outside. Even empty bowls will attract wild and stray animals.
- Do not let pets roam freely. Keep them in a fenced yard or on a leash.
- Keep your garbage securely covered. Open garbage will attract wild or stray animals.
- Keep your chimney capped and repair holes in attics, cellars, and porches to help keep wild animals like bats and raccoons out of your home.
The Massachusetts state website provides more information about rabies, as does the CDC.
