The number of confirmed rabies cases in Maine has sharply increased so far this year, with at least 30 animals testing positive for the virus since January.
Between January and May, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed rabies infections in 30 raccoons, skunks and bats, along with one fox and one woodchuck. That’s compared with 35 confirmed rabies cases reported throughout the entirety of 2022, according to Maine CDC data.
In May, a rabies alert was issued after a woman brought a juvenile raccoon into the Auburn Petco. The animal tested negative for the virus, but Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife officials issued a warning to never touch wild or unfamiliar animals.
Earlier this year, a rabid raccoon attacked a Bowdoinham woman inside her residence after it came into her sunroom through a pet door. She was bitten on the leg and had to undergo treatment after the animal tested positive for rabies.
In April, a rabid skunk was discovered in Bangor that prompted a community alert.
In 2022, at least a dozen raccoons in Maine tested positive for rabies after coming into contact with humans. Over the past 10 years, Maine CDC reported that raccoons were the most common source of rabies-to-human exposure.
“Rabies can infect any animal that has hair,” said Tegwin Taylor, wildlife health biologist with the Maine DIF&W. “In Maine, rabies is endemic in raccoons, so although rabies can infect a variety of wildlife and domestic mammals, raccoons are the most common source for rabies in our area.”
Animals get and spread rabies through bites and scratches and the saliva from an infected animal comes in contact with mucus membranes like the eyes or open wounds, even tiny ones. A rabid raccoon, or other wild animal, will often be aggressive, though some can be subdued.
A person can receive a series of rabies shots to prevent severe illness after coming in contact with a rabid animal, and household pets should be kept up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
More information on rabies can be found on the Maine CDC website.
