Submitter and technician observations, and animal rabies detection in Massachusetts, 1992-2006.

A relationship was detected between the submitter and technician observations and animal rabies detection in Massachusetts during 1992-2006 by logistic regression and Fisher exact testing. The results suggested that aggression (OR = 3.94, p < 0.0001), disorientation (OR = 1.17, p = 0.0006), paralysis (OR = 1.22, p = 0.041), unexplained wound (OR = 1.472, p < 0.0001), and found dead (OR = 1.16, p = 0.0089) were independently associated with positive rabies testing results at alpha 0.05 level adjusted by categorized animal species and type of animal. Fisher exact test confirmed the relationship between embedded porcupine quills and skunk spray of rabies-tested animals with positive rabies testing results.