CENTRAL MAINE • March 16, 2026
Rabies in Maine is fairly uncommon. As of Monday, state data showed only three reported cases this year. Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that affects the brain and spinal cord, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It is common in animals, especially wildlife, but very rare in humans in the United States. The rabies virus lives in the saliva, brain and spinal cord of infected animals, the Maine CDC says. It commonly spreads through animal bites and scratches. It can also spread if an animal’s saliva or neural tissue contacts the mouth, nose or eyes of a person or animal, or if it enters a cut in the skin. The virus does not spread by simply petting animals or touching dried bodily fluids of an infected animal.