Several different people handled the animal and some kissed it, the wildlife department said.
The store’s manager then asked the woman to leave and contacted the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the department said.Article content
The raccoon was then tested for the disease, which came back negative, but necessitated euthanizing it, Latti said. There is no nonlethal test for rabies in animals, he said. Rabies is almost always fatal in humans once symptoms appear, and potential sufferers need to seek treatment immediately. Wildlife are best left alone, though animal control authorities can also be notified if the animals appear to be in distress, Latti said.
“When they lose their fear of people they are more likely to become a nuisance or be run over by a vehicle,” Latti said.The wildlife department said store customers who touched the animal should still contact their health care providers as a precaution. Raccoons are capable of transferring other diseases along to humans and other animals as well.
The pet store, a location of the national chain Petco, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday. A representative for the local store referred a request on to the company’s corporate office in San Diego.
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