After five recent cases of rabies in Boston raccoons, pet owners are being warned to be on high alert.
Boston’s Animal Care and Control division issued a warning Friday on Facebook, saying a raccoon found near Hillside Avenue in the city’s Mission Hill neighborhood had tested positive for rabies on August 14. It was the fifth raccoon to test positive for rabies recently, the agency said. Three rabid raccoons were collected in Jamaica Plain and one in Roslindale.
So far, city officials said there have been no reports of rabies exposures or injuries to humans or pets related to interactions with any of the rabid raccoons.
“Rabies is a serious virus that can be transmitted due to exposure from an infected animal, the disease can be treated by receiving prompt medical attention after exposure,” the city’s animal control division said. “An exposure is any bite, scratch, or other situation in which the saliva or nervous tissue of a potentially rabid animal enters an open or fresh wound, abrasion, or break in the skin, or comes into contact with a mucous membrane by entering in the eye, nose, or mouth. Rabies in people can be prevented with timely and proper medical care.”
They offered the following tips to keep residents and pets safe from rabies:
- Avoid and report wild animals that are behaving strangely or that appear to be sick or injured
- Keep pets up to date with their rabies vaccinations
- Supervise pets when they are outdoors
- Seek immediate medical attention if bitten or scratched by an animal
- Seek care for your pet immediately if it is scratched or bitten by a raccoon or other potentially rabid animal.
- Do not try to touch or feed wild animals.
Click here for the most frequently asked questions about rabies.
