AUGUSTA — Following a rise in animals testing positive for rabies in the state since the start of this year, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) urges Maine people and visitors to take steps to prevent rabies.
Between January and May of 2023, the Maine CDC confirmed 30 cases of rabies in raccoons, skunks, bats, a fox, and a woodchuck. Cumberland County recorded 12 of the 30 cases. Rabies activity was significantly lower in 2022, with a total of 35 cases for the year.
Rabies is a virus that infects the nervous system of humans and other mammals. Rabies spreads when infected animals bite and in some cases scratch, other animals or humans. All mammals can get rabies, but raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats are the most common animals to test positive for rabies in Maine. The rabies virus does not spread in blood, urine, feces, skunk spray, or dried saliva.
A rabid animal may show a variety of symptoms or no symptoms at all. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost always fatal. Timely post-exposure treatment can prevent disease in people; a rabies vaccination is required for all pet cats and dogs of a certain age in Maine and offers the best protection against rabies.
The Maine CDC urges everyone to take precautions around unfamiliar animals and to take steps to protect yourself and your animals against rabies.
To help protect yourself and your pet against rabies:
Keep your pet’s rabies vaccination up to date.
Feed pets indoors.
Keep garbage cans or other sources of food tightly secured.
Do not feed, touch, or adopt wild animals.
Be cautious of stray dogs and cats. If you spot a stray cat or dog, contact your local animal control officer.
Do not move wildlife. This can spread rabies into new areas.
Wash bite or scratch wounds thoroughly with soap and water for 10-15 minutes and contact your healthcare provider.
Who to contact:
If an animal bites or scratches you, contact your healthcare provider.
If an animal bites or scratches your pet or livestock, contact your veterinarian.
If you want to report a dead or suspicious-acting raccoon, skunk, fox, or coyote in Maine, contact a game warden with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Maine CDC is also available to answer questions.
For more information:
Maine CDC rabies webpage
Find a local animal control officer or game warden
Maine CDC disease reporting & consultation line: 1-800-821-5821 (Available 24/7)
Supporting Sponsor for Franklin Journal, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Rangeley Highlander and Rumford Falls Times.
Keeping communities informed by supporting local news. franklinsavings.bank
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less