Two rabies cases, consisting of uncommon cat case, reported in Kennebec County in the middle of summertime uptick

Signs about rabies were published just recently on Warren Avenue in Gardiner after health authorities found the infection in a kitten in Gardiner and a gray fox. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

GARDINER — Even as Maine’s public health firm is providing an advisory about bats and rabies, circumstances of the viral illness in other animals are being reported around main Maine.

On July 18, an uncommon case of rabies was reported in a kitten in Gardiner, triggering authorities to publish an indication in the area of a recognized cat nest.

Cliff Daigle, animal control officer for numerous towns consisting of West Gardiner, said a homeowner shot and killed a gray fox that later on checked positive for rabies.

Rabies is a viral illness that resides in the saliva, brain and spine of contaminated animals. While it can contaminate any animal with hair, in Maine it’s usually discovered in raccoons, red foxes, gray foxes, skunks and bats.

Tegwin Taylor, a wildlife health biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, said an uptick in reported rabies cases takes place throughout summer season in Maine and throughout the United States since both individuals and animals are active outdoors.

In addition to the cases in Gardiner and West Gardiner, the only report of a wild animal in Kennebec County can be found in late March when rabies was discovered in a skunk in Augusta.

The case of a kitten with rabies in Gardiner is uncommon, representing the just such case including cats up until now this year in Maine. Over the last ten years, there have actually been simply 7 reported cases of rabies including cats in Maine, or 1%, out of 621 reported cases, according to state information.

In an advisory provided in June, the CDC said throughout Maine, there were early indications of an active animal rabies season. Through the very first 5 months of this year, 30 animals checked positive for rabies. During the very same duration a year earlier, that number was 11.

“We had a bunch of cases in February and March, but we had a fairly mild winter,” Taylor said, keeping in mind that reports have actually dropped off in the months that followed. “When we don’t have a big winter that kills off a lot of stuff, sometimes those viruses are maintained more easily than during a harsh winter.”

Over the last years, the variety of reported cases yearly has actually varied from 30 to 90, however they more frequently overall in between 60 to 70, she said.

Many of the cases have actually been reported in Cumberland County, where the chance for interactions in between human beings and wildlife are greater since more individuals live there, she said.

The state wildlife department preserves a web page on its website with details on how to handle orphaned, ill or hurt wildlife, consisting of how to determine ill animals and when to look for help. While it’s typical habits for wildlife circumnavigating, feeding or hunting completely view day or night when individuals are around, animals that are spinning in circles, tipping over, lathering at the mouth and showing hostility towards individuals, domestic animals or other items is not.

In its advisory provided recently, the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention kept in mind that since July 24, 6 bats had actually checked positive for rabies up until now this year. Two cases were reported in Albany Township in Oxford County and one case each was reported in Lewiston, Palmyra, Standish and Topsham.

Last year, the CDC reported, bats comprised 45% of the 458 animals sent to the state laboratory for rabies screening, however of those, just 4 checked positive. The CDC likewise preserves its own rabies web page. 

If direct exposure is thought, the CDC encourages right away cleaning the bite or scratch with soap and warm water for 10 to 15 minutes and getting in touch with a healthcare company. If rabies is thought, a series of shots throughout a couple of weeks can be provided beginning within 10 days of the direct exposure. oftentimes, the shots can wait till laboratory outcomes return from the checked animal if it has actually been recorded.

Officials recommend attempting to catch the bat if it can be done securely, while using thick gloves, and hold it in a closed container. The bat can be taken by an animal control officer or a video game warden to the state’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory. If it evaluates positive for rabies, a Maine CDC epidemiologist will follow up.

In basic, the very same safety suggestions use in every year, Taylor said.

“People need to be aware of what’s happening around them; give wildlife their space; and certainly vaccinate your pets,” she said. “That’s the primary way to prevent not only your pets but you from getting exposed.”

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