Marion Board of Health issues rabies advisory after positive raccoon test
Anyone bitten or scratched by an animal that may be rabid should wash the area, get medical care right away and call the state's 24-hour line, 617-983-6800, the board says.
MARION A raccoon that tested positive for rabies was found near the water tower on Point Road in Marion, and the town's Board of Health is asking people who walk in that area to stay alert and keep away from wild animals. Anyone who comes across an animal that may have rabies should not approach it, should keep a safe distance and should call Animal Control at 508-748-1212 or 911, the board said.
The state Department of Public Health notified the Board of Health and Animal Control of the positive test, according to the advisory the board posted Wednesday, Oct. 14. The raccoon had been acting oddly before it was sent to the state for testing, the board said.
If there is contact
Anyone bitten, scratched or otherwise touched by an animal that may be rabid should wash the area thoroughly, get medical care right away and call the Department of Public Health's 24-hour line at 617-983-6800, the board said. Rabies is preventable, but because it "can be rapidly fatal for both humans and animals," treatment has to start quickly, according to the advisory. The virus is carried in an infected animal's saliva and spreads through a bite or when saliva gets into an open wound or the eyes, nose or mouth.
What to watch for
Signs of rabies in an animal can include abnormal or aggressive behavior, lethargy, weakness or paralysis, self-mutilation, seizures, excessive salivation and difficulty breathing or swallowing, the board said.
In Massachusetts, raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes and woodchucks are the animals most likely to be found with rabies, according to the advisory. Among domestic animals, cats are the ones most often found to be rabid, because they are vaccinated at lower rates than dogs.
Protecting pets and homes
State law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies on a regular schedule, and the board asked owners to make sure those shots are current. It also advised keeping pets in a fenced yard or on a leash instead of letting them roam, and not leaving food or water bowls outside, since even empty bowls can draw wild and stray animals.
The board also asked people to teach children never to approach an animal they don't know, even one that seems friendly, and asked residents to report any animal that behaves oddly to animal control. Covered garbage, capped chimneys and repaired holes in attics, cellars and porches help keep raccoons and bats out of homes, the advisory says.
The board pointed readers to mass.gov/rabies and cdc.gov/rabies for more about the disease, and it reminded them that keeping a wild animal as a pet is against the law in Massachusetts.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
How we verified this
Every fact comes from the Marion Board of Health's advisory, posted Oct. 14 on the town website and read again Oct. 19, and we checked each phone number against the posted notice. Not heard: no one was contacted.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (1)
- Message from the Marion Board of Health: Rabies Positive Raccoon and Rabies AdvisoryTown of Marion. Read Oct. 19, 2026, 1:34 p.m.