With warmer weather bringing people and animals out of winter hiding and potentially into contact with one another, officials warn there are rabid animals in central Maine, including one that bit an Augusta woman in a heavily populated area of the city late last week.

A 73-year-old woman, whom authorities declined to identify, was bitten by a raccoon March 17 on Sewall Street. The raccoon was found and killed, and it later tested positive for rabies.

The raccoon had been spotted throughout much of the city’s urban west side, including near the Buker Community Center, the Green Street area, and Capitol and Chapel streets.

“What is concerning, obviously, is the raccoon bit a human being, but it is also concerning that it was in such close proximity to businesses and schools and gatherings of people and animals, over a fairly large footprint,” said Hillary Roberts, executive director of Kennebec Valley Humane Society. “It’s a good reminder to make sure your pets are vaccinated and for people to not interact with wildlife.”

It was the first animal to test positive for rabies in Kennebec County in 2016, according to a state database. But several other wild animals have been spotted showing symptoms of the disease in recent weeks in central Maine, including in Augusta, Hallowell and Waterville, and areas including Winthrop and Sidney are known for frequent reports of rabid animals, according to local animal control officers.

John Martins, public health information officer for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, said May through September usually is the time of year when most of the state’s rabies cases occur, though the disease is reported throughout the year.

“Winter is over and more wild animals and people are much more likely to be out,” he said, explaining why the number of rabies cases is higher at that time of year.

“With the warmer weather, you get more people out walking their dogs and spending more time outside as temperatures warm up,” Roberts said.

As of March 15, eight animals – six raccoons and two skunks – had tested positive for rabies this year by the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory. In 2015, 28 animals tested positive for rabies.

Francois Roodman, Augusta’s animal control officer, said since the rabid raccoon that bit the woman was discovered, police have located, caught and killed two other animals showing potential symptoms of rabies: a raccoon on Sunday on Howard Street and a skunk on Tuesday on Melville Street.

In general, treatment for people bitten by a rabid animal is a combination of vaccine and immunoglobulin shots. The number and type of shots depends on the person’s health status and whether the person has been vaccinated for rabies in the past, according to a Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s rabies fact sheet.

If the attacking animal was captured and can either be confined and observed, or killed and tested for rabies, health care providers usually can wait for the outcome before deciding whether treatment is needed.

Rabies, which is spread by saliva of an infected animal, can be fatal. It is rare in humans.

Roberts said the protocol for people and pets exposed to a wild animal is similar. People who come into contact with a wild animal and suffer a wound should wash the wound for 10 or 15 minutes and contact their health care providers.

Pet owners whose animals come into contact with a wild animal also should wash the wound, then immediately contact a veterinarian.

Vaccinated cats and dogs that have been exposed to a rabid animal must be given a rabies vaccine booster and quarantined for 45 days for observation.

Unvaccinated cats and dogs exposed to a rabid animal, according to information from the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, should be euthanized or vaccinated for rabies and quarantined in isolation for six months.

Keith Edwards can be contacted at 621-5647 or at:

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: kedwardskj