Two cases of rabies in a raccoon have been recently reported in Dayton.
In Dayton, there were two rabid raccoons confirmed on July 12 and two confirmed earlier this year on April 19, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control. There was also a confirmed reporting of a rabid big brown bat in Eliot on July 12, according to data from the Maine Center for Disease Control, Division of Public Health Services.
So far this year, 27 rabid animals have been reported in Maine, and five total in York county, according to data from the Maine Center for Disease Control.
[Mainer attacked by rabid raccoon drowns it in a puddle]
According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system that is almost always fatal. It is very rare in humans in the U.S. but is more commonly found in animals — primarily wild animals.
The rabies virus can infect any mammal, but is most common among certain animals such as bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons, according to the Maine CDC. Rabies is very rare among rodents, and thanks to vaccines, extremely rare among pets and farm animals.
[Fox thought to have rabies attacks man in Topsham]
The rabies virus lives in saliva, brain and spinal cord tissue of animals and is spread when they bite or scratch. It can also be spread if saliva or nerve tissue touches a mucous membrane such as those found in the mouth nose or eyes, or touches broken skin, according to the Maine CDC.
Behavior of rabid animals varies. Some appear shy and fearful while other become aggressive and mean. Some stumble as though drunk or appear lame.
[Bowdoinham sees a series of possible rabies cases]
The Maine CDC advises people to avoid contact with wild animals. It further advises people to avoid any animal — wild, domestic or farm — that is behaving oddly and report such animals to their community animal control officer.