For the fourth time in two weeks, a Brunswick resident has been attacked by a wild animal that subsequently tested positive for rabies.
The most recent incident took place around 2:19 p.m. Friday, according to Brunswick police Cmdr. Mark Waltz.
A man gardening on Bouchard Drive was able to subdue the fox, which had been in the area of Paul Street, with a shovel without being exposed, according to Waltz.
Topsham has not seen any calls for potentially rabid animals, Waltz said, nor has Bath, Bath police Lt. Robert Savary said Monday.
On June 18, two residents of Woodland Drive were bitten by a gray fox, and earlier that week, two dogs on High Street were attacked by a skunk that was then quarantined.
A 95-year-old Breckan Road man used a board to kill a rabid fox on June 25, police said. While the fox bit the man, the Maine Warden Service and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention determined he did not need treatment because the bite did not break the skin, Animal Control Officer Heidi Nelson said at the time.
As of June 28, the Maine CDC had received only one other report of rabies in June, in a gray fox in Harrison, a town also in Cumberland County.
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Police urge residents to ensure their pets are current on rabies shots, to be extra vigilant when encountering wildlife, and avoid wild animals, particularly those who appear to be acting strangely such as appearing at an odd time of day or not appearing to fear humans.
They ask people who encounter an animal they suspect to be rabid to get inside or get something between themselves and the animal, and call 911.
Do not leave pets outside unsupervised, and do not leave food supplies such as trash or bird feeders outside, police advised.
If you have been exposed to a wild animal you suspect is rabid, clean wounds with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes, call your local game warden and call your doctor. Testing of the deceased animal will determine whether it was rabid, according to the Maine CDC.
If you have been bitten by a domestic animal, follow the same procedures. In addition, the animal will likely require a 10-day quarantine to rule out rabies.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention can be reached by calling 800-821-5821.
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