EASTHAM – Genetic testing shows that a rabid raccoon that was discovered on Cape Cod recently has its origins in New York and Pennsylvania, but health experts are still unsure how it ended up in Eastham.
The raccoon was found on Smith Road in November with porcupine quills in its muzzle and arm, as well as a blue cloth draped over its backside. Testing with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it was positive for rabies.
USDA National Wildlife Research Center genetic analysis showed it shared DNA with raccoons originating around the New York/Pennsylvania border region.
Rabies surveillance efforts have been increased in response for the town and surrounding area.
The Town of Eastham Health Department coordinated with federal, state, and local agencies, including USDA Wildlife Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), and the Cape Cod & Southeast Massachusetts Rabies Task Force (CCSMRTF), to assess potential public health and wildlife implications
Barnstable County Health experts warn residents not to relocate sick animals, as it can make tracking diseases difficult. They ask residents who spot sick and injured animals to report the case to local officials, instead.
The Cape is largely free of raccoon rabies due to vaccination efforts and the canal separating it from the mainland.
Raccoon variant rabies was last detected on Cape in 2021 when a positive raccoon was discovered in Hyannis, however it was found to have originated in Plymouth County.
Before that, the last case was in 2013.
About Grady Culhane
