New Brunswickers Urged to Avoid Wildlife After Fourth Fox Revealed

Barbara Senecal, 72, of Brunswick, stands Tuesday near the place where she was attacked by a rabid fox on June 17th. Injuries to the bite on the ankles and scratches on his hands eventually heal. BRUNSWICK – Municipal authorities advise residents to avoid wild animals, especially if they act strangely, and not to leave animals or children unattended. the fourth incident involving a rabid fox in the past three weeks

Brunswick Animal Control Agent Heidi Nelson received confirmation from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention last Monday that the fox killed by a man on Bouchard Drive last week was mad. She phoned CDC officials on Tuesday morning and urged the city to send information leaflets to residents.

However, city officials wanted to reach as many people as possible quickly and so decided to issue a press release. and a Code Red Alert providing landline information to Brunswick using the E911 system on Tuesday.

The statement issued by the Cmdr. Mark M. Waltz advised everyone who encounters an animal to enter strangely inside and call 911. He also urged people to make sure that all animals being able to be vaccinated are up to date on their rabies vaccines

an "epidemic" in its release, but a spokesperson for the Maine CDC cautioned against characterizing the incidents this way.

"I know that the word" epidemic "has circulated there and we would say that it is a high number of cases given the period and geographical area, but it's not an epidemic" said Emily Spencer. "Maybe a group would be a more appropriate word."

There has been no case of human rabies in Maine since 1937.

The last encounter with a rabid fox took place on Friday, when Brandon Radzilowski was helping to build a patio at his sister's house on Bouchard Drive and that he had noticed the fox in the Backyard

At first I thought it could have been OK because it was just playing with a ball, and I saw videos of foxes playing with toys. kids in the yards before, "said Radzilowski, who came from Maryland

. I had warned him that there had recently been several cases of rabid wild animals in Brunswick, so he kept an eye on it.

"I went out and ran a little in the woods. I started working and I noticed that he was in the neighbor's yard to hunt down their cat, "says Radzilowski.

The cat entered the neighbor's house through a doorway. cat, and Radzilowski feared that the fox would follow him.When he approached, the animal stooped under the bridge.But once Radzilowski was on deck, the fox reappeared and became aggressive

"When he started coming to me, I thought," Yeah, I do not take that chance. "His mouth was wide open. came hastily to me, "said Radzilowski." Then I picked up the shovel and I beat her. He flew a few feet and landed on the side of his yard, "

Radzilowski said that he then gave another shot to put the animal out of his misery. never came into physical contact with the fox

"I felt bad about killing him," said Radzilowski, who was relieved when he learned that the animal was rabies-positive.

AGGRESSION

Nelson, the animal control officer, said that she was waiting for test results before informing the public of the incident. [19659005] "We do not want to provoke a collective hysteria where everyone wants to go out.

It was already starting to happen on Tuesday, when police said they received calls from residents asking if they had to shoot the animals they had seen on their properties. Nelson reiterated that people should go inside and call 911. The CDC also said that it was not going to test the animals that had not had any contact with them. humans or domestic animals.

The main carriers of rabies are foxes. , skunks and bats, but the animals are out and at this time of year, just like people, says Nelson, and just because they're out during the day, does not mean that they are enraged.

The big red flag is aggression. Generally, wild animals will not interact with humans if they are not threatened.

"What we are looking for is that the fox or the animal is the aggressor, sees us and pursues us," Nelson said. "They are going to attack the cars, are going to bite a tire, the skunks will get up and start spinning as if they were dizzy."

And that's not because an animal has it. mangy air that he is infected. Foxes are very sensitive to scabies and will pull off their fur.

Nelson said two scenarios involving rabid animals could be played out: city residents could continue to see rabid animals for a long time or infected animals expose other animals

Fortunately, window during which an animal infected with the rabies virus can infect another animal or a human before it succumbs to the disease is only about 10 days old. The virus needs the living host to survive.

Anyone who encounters a possibly rabid animal and can not get inside or in a safe place should "try to capture everything you can put between you and that animal. A garden chair, whatever. Find something between you and go to safety.

The recent rise in rabies incidents has prompted the Maine Street Veterinary Clinic in Brunswick to urge its clients through social media to ensure that their animal's rabies shots are current

. is to make sure all animals are vaccinated, and that's what will protect them, "said Dr. Erica Partham of the Veterinary Clinic.

Maine law requires that cats and dogs be vaccinated against rabies. people think that indoor cats do not need vaccinations, they are still in danger of exposure to rabies. Wild animals carrying the virus, such as a little bat, can enter a home without the owners being aware of it and their tiny teeth mean that their bites can go unnoticed, Partham said

to help solve a problem public security.

"LIVING BASIC IN THE SEA OF RABIES & # 39;

There have been 33 confirmed cases of rabies in animals this year in Maine, according to the Maine CDC. . Six cases were confirmed in Cumberland County and there were eight confirmed cases in Piscataquis County. Almost all animals with rabies were raccoons

Last year, there were 67 cases of rabies in Maine, including two cases in Brunswick, according to the CDC

. On June 13, a High Street woman left her dog outside, where he fought with a skunk who was later tested positive for rabies.

Later this week, a rabid fox attacked a woman from Brunswick. his mail. The fox then bit a neighbor who tried to help him. Both residents were treated at the Mid Coast Hospital and the fox was shot dead by a police officer. The 72-year-old woman Barbara Senecal later stated that the fox "looked mean" and knocked her out and bit her legs and arm

. June 25, a 95-year-old man repaired the bridge on his house on Breckan Road when a fox approached him. Robert Galen used a broken board to bind the fox, which was then tested positive for rabies.

"I was aware of rabies incidents in Brunswick so I almost instinctively hit that animal on the head with the club that I had, thankfully"

Cases of Rabies were also reported outside Brunswick

James Ross of Lisbon used a meat cleaver to kill a fox that had entered his kitchen after leaving the doors of his home. the house is open last month

And in Rockland, a woman from South Carolina was bitten last week by a raging river otter who was running on a beach and hunting people. Laurie Nevins, who was on vacation in Maine, captured the video attack. The otter was shot by the police so that it could be tested against rabies.

"It appears that you are feeling a slight increase in the number within a tight deadline, but in the United States and Maine, you are" Richard Chipman of Brunswick, coordinator of the National Rabies Management Program of the Department of Wildlife

OFFICIAL: NO REASON TO "TOUCH THE PANIC BUTTON"

Of the 5,000-6,000 cases of rabies in the United States each year are in wildlife, the remaining 8% are for Most domestic animals.

"In general, we do not have a lot of cases where we have wild animals that attack people," he said, saying people should continue what. they do.

"I certainly would not hit the panic button," he said. "We are doing the same things we would normally do.

This level of rabies incidents is not expected to continue in the next two months.

"It's not as if, once you've started having a lot of rage in the population, these animals are going to stay in the landscape all summer sick, spreading rabies and being aggressive, "he said. "They are not going to stay long inside and outside as soon as they start showing signs."

John Eldridge, General Manager of Brunswick, said the biggest What the city can do now, is to inform the residents

Darcie Moore can be contacted at the following address:

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Gillian Graham can be contacted contacted at 791-6315 or at:

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