A fifth rabid raccoon sparks rabies alert in Boston

Boston health officials announced a rabies alert on Friday after a raccoon tested positive for the deadly disease.

The city’s Department of Animal Care and Control announced Friday that a rabid raccoon was discovered in Mission Hill. It’s the fifth Boston raccoon to test positive for rabies in the past few weeks.

The Mission Hill raccoon was found near Hillside Avenue on August 14. Previously, three raccoons were picked up in Jamaica Plain and one in Roslindale.

So far, no one has been exposed to rabies or suffered injuries from the raccoons.

Animal welfare officials announced the rabies warning there Facebook site and asked anyone who believes they have been exposed to the disease to contact their doctor or the Boston Public Health Commission at 617-534-5611. Anyone whose pet has been exposed to rabies should call their veterinarian or local animal welfare agency.

Rabies is a life-threatening virus that can be transmitted through contact with an infected animal. Immediate medical attention is essential for anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal.

According to Boston Animal Control, “An exposure is any bite, scratch, or other situation in which saliva or nerve tissue from a potentially rabid animal comes into contact with an open or fresh wound, abrasion, tear in the skin, or comes into contact with a mucous membrane. ‘ by entering the eye, nose or mouth. Rabies in humans can be prevented with timely and appropriate medical care.”

Health officials offered the following tips to protect people and pets from rabies:

• Avoid and report wildlife that is behaving strangely or appears to be ill or injured.

• Keep your pets up to date on their rabies vaccinations.

• Supervise pets when they are outdoors.

• If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, seek medical attention immediately.

• Seek immediate care for your pet if it is scratched or bitten by a raccoon or other potentially rabid animal.

• Do not attempt to touch or feed wild animals.

Boston Animal Care and Control will offer two free rabies vaccination clinics for dogs and cats. One will be on September 16 from 10am to 2pm at the BCYF Curtis Hall Community Center and the other will be on September 30 from 10am to 2pm at the BCYF Tobin Community Center. Anyone interested in more information about the clinics can email [email protected].

Anyone wishing to report a wild animal in Boston that appears to be ill, injured, or behaving strangely can contact animal welfare authorities at 617-635-5348.