Arlington Animal Control Reports Positive Rabies Test in Nearby Town

ARLINGTON, MA—Arlington Animal Control has been alerted of an animal that tested positive for Rabies in a nearby town. Animal Control released the following statement, including information on how to keep you and your loved ones safe.

It has been brought to the attention of Animal Control that there has recently been an animal that tested positive for rabies in a nearby town. While rabies is a common virus, the likelihood of it being spread to a human is very unlikely, especially if proper precautions or proper post contact support has been taken. This information is being sent out to better educate the public on the Rabies Virus and to give examples of precautions to take as well as when to report an animal to animal control.

It has become more common to see nocturnal animals, such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks, out during the day time. Reasons for this include Daylight Saving Time and the fact that it has been easier for animals to find a food source during the day when most people are out and going about their lives. If you should encounter a wild animal or see one in the distance, you should NEVER approach it. If the animal is injured or appears to be unhealthy, you should contact your Animal Control Officer as soon as possible at 781-645-8014. If Animal Control is not on duty, you should contact the police non-emergency line at: 781-643-1212 to handle the situation. If the animal appears to be sleeping in a spot that it not easily accessible to people or to pets, the animal is probably just looking for a safe spot to take a nap; if you have reasons for concern, it is always better to be safe than sorry and ask for help.

With this in mind, it is also important to know that you should not feed wild life, whether it is intentional or not. Leaving food out for wild life can give these animals a false sense of security and make them believe that people are safe. While one person may know that the animal is just approaching for food, another person may take it as the animal is approaching because it is sick or aggressive and the animal could be killed because of these actions to protect the safety of the public. Unintentional feeding is done by leaving garbage outside or trash cans open and available to be raided by animals. The best thing to do to prevent this is to have locking trash cans and/or place your trash cans inside of a shed or garage where they cannot be accessed by animals.

Sometimes interactions are unavoidable, such as the attack that occurred recently. If you or someone you know as an interaction with a wild animal where you are bitten or scratched, or the animal appears to be unhealthy, you should call 911 immediately. Do not lose track of the animal, as it will need to be submitted for rabies testing. The wound should be thoroughly washed out with soap and water for 10 minutes. Contact your doctor immediately to talk about potentially beginning the vaccination process for post exposure.

It is important to be sure your pets are up to date on a rabies vaccine. If your pet has come into contact with a wild animal you should be sure to contact your veterinarian immediately to ensure your pet has a booster shot. You should then contact animal control to get further information on a quarantine process to ensure the complete safety for your pet and your family interacting with your pet.

More information on rabies in Massachusetts can be found by following the link below:http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/cdc/factsheets/rabies.pdf