The state Department of Public Health has confirmed that a raccoon embedded with porcupine quills found dead in Eastham on Sunday was rabid.
This comes as a surprise to Brian Bjorklund, coordinator of the Cape Cod & Southeast MA Rabies Task Force. He said raccoon rabies on Cape Cod is rare, thanks in large part to the task force’s oral rabies vaccination program. Raccoon rabies has only been seen on Cape Cod twice in the past 20 years, he said.
“Cape Cod has been essentially rabies free since 2021,” Bjorkland said. “We don't want to jeopardize that by having this one raccoon in Eastham, which is quite a ways from the canal.”
The raccoon was found partially covered in a towel, indicating that a human was in contact with the raccoon.
“We would like the person who interacted or put that raccoon there to reach out to us. You're not going to get in trouble for reporting this,” Bjorkland said. “We just need some information as to where that raccoon was originally found and how it ended up in Eastham.”
The state DPH has also asked that the person who handled the raccoon reach out to the state Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800 for a rabies risk assessment. Those with information can also email CARE@capecod.gov.
Rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal when left untreated, Bjorkland said.
A genetic sample from the dead raccoon is being analyzed, Bjorkland said. Results are expected back next week.
When a raccoon is found with porcupine quills, it usually indicates that the raccoon has rabies, Bjorkland said.
“They're highly intelligent animals. They know what to touch, what not to touch, who to mess with, who not to mess with,” he said. “But when a raccoon has rabies, they can become overly aggressive and attack things that they normally wouldn't approach—in this case, porcupines.”
But like raccoon rabies, porcupines are not typically seen on Cape Cod. The last time a porcupine was documented on Cape Cod was 15 years ago.
More information about rabies is available on the state website.
