On Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at approximately 10:40am an ill raccoon was dropped off by an unidentified adult male at the barn located on the property of the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen, MA. The barn is located at 400 Broadway at the intersection of Route 213 and Route 28. The raccoon was submitted to the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory and tested positive for rabies.
It was reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that the unidentified male had been keeping the raccoon in his home and feeding it. Rabies is a serious disease and immediate consultation with medical staff is needed after possible exposures. An exposure occurs when saliva or nervous tissue from an infected animal penetrates the skin (via a bite, scratch, fresh wound, feeding) or when saliva enters someone’s eyes or mouth. If you believe you are the individual referenced or may know this individual, we ask that you please contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) at 617-983-6800 (available 24 hours), or your health care provider for a risk assessment. Following an exposure to rabies, disease can be prevented with prompt administration of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).